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.70 



COPYRrCHT DEPOSm 



A TRIP THROUGH ITALY, SICILY, 

TUNISIA, ALGERIA AND 

SOUTHERN FRANCE 



A TRIP THROUGH ITALY, 
SICILY, TUNISIA, ALGERIA 
AND SOUTHERN FRANCE 



Wrk. VANDERBILT, Jr. 




NEW YORK 

PRIVATELY PRINTED 

1918 



5 



,a' 



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Copyright, 1918 
By W. K. Vanderbilt, Jr. 



M 15 1918 
©CI.A497805 



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FOREWORD 

IN this modest attempt to sum up my tours in 
the various countries through which I traveled, 
I have endeavored to give such data as would 
be of value to others making similar tours. Among 
other information I have been careful to give de- 
scriptions of the condition of the roads and the 
hotels as they were at the time I made my tours. 
In my experience I have found such information 
to be of great value and help to those who were 
touring for pleasure ; for without such information 
much of the pleasure of a tour vanishes. The 
illustrations were taken by myself en route. 

W. K. VANDERBILT, Jr. 



[v] 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Paris to Beaulieu 3 

Beaulieu to Venice 8 

Venice to Naples 13 

Naples to Palermo 24 

Tour through Tunis and Algiers 

Tunis to Sfax 45 

Sfax to Enfidaville 57 

Enfidaville to La Calle 74 

La Calle to Constantine 86 

CONSTANTINE TO El KaNTARA 98 

El Kantara to Bougie 105 

Bougie to Algiers, Marseilles, and 

Paris 112 



vii ] 



MAPS 

Tunis and Algeria Tour Frontispiece v 

Tour through Italy Facing page 3 v/ 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

0pp. page / 

Car loaded with Luggage 4 •^ 

Harbor at Marseilles 6 / 

Approach to the Col de Tenda 10 / 

Scenic View between Bologna and Florence . 14/ 

View of the Village of Monghidora 16/ 

Cloud Effects in the Mountains 18/ 

View of the Ruins at Messina 28v 

The Ruins at Messina 30v 

American Quarters at Messina 32 

A Corner at Taormina 34 

Taormina — From the Hotel Window ... 36 
Church in the Village of Taormina . . . .38, 40 

A Fountain in the Village of Taormina . . . 42>/ 
The Motor about to be transferred on Board 

the Steamer at Palermo 44 « 

Sousse 46/ 

Barracks at Sousse 48- 

Sousse — Harbor Front 50 

Crossing the Desert between Sfax and Sousse 52 

El Djem 54 ^ 

fix! 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

Opp. page 

At the Gates of Sfax 56 v 

Camel Market at Sfax 58- 

At Sfax, showing how the Rain-water is 

gathered 60 

View of the Cisterns at Sfax 62 / 

Typical Graveyard on the Outskirts of Sfax . 64 

Camel Market at Sfax 66 

W. K. v., Jr., on a Camel at Sfax 68^ 

Mr. Payne on a Camel at Sfax 70^ 

Grand Mosque at Kairouan 72, 74, 76' 

A Lady out for a Morning Ride; one Eye is 

SufTicient to take in the Sights 78 

Car at Mosque de Barbier, Kairouan . . . 80- 

The Fringe of the Desert 82/ 

Driving the Camels in a Herd to Town ... 84 

A Small Oasis in the Desert; and some Arabs 86 

Typical Desert Well 88 

Watering Trough erected in an Oasis .... 90- 

The Gorge at Constantine 92 

Timgad 94, 96, 98, 100 

Roman Arch at Timgad 102- 

Oasis at El Kantara . 104^ 

Road at El Kantara 106^ 

Gorge at El Kantara 108 / 

Market Day at Mac Mahon . 110/ 

A Bedouin Encampment 112^ 

Water Carriers 114 

Tizi-Ouzon 116'/ 

Marseilles — View of the Water Front . . . 118 



X] 



A TRIP THROUGH ITALY, SICILY 

TUNISIA, ALGERIA AND 

SOUTHERN FRANCE 



A TRIP THROUGH ITALY, SICILY, 

TUNISIA, ALGERIA, AND 

SOUTHERN FRANCE 

December 3, 1912-January 23, 1913 

PARIS TO BEAULIEU 

IT was on Tuesday, December 3, 1912, at 
11 A.M. that Mr. Payne and I once more found 
ourselves snugly installed in my 55 H.P. 1909 
Mercedes, ready for an extended trip through 
Italy, Sicily, Tunisia, Algeria and back again 
through southern France. 

Itineraries and a time schedule had been care- 
fully prepared, and we calculated that a period of 
about fifty days would be consumed in covering 
our proposed tour. 

The first part of our journey lay between Paris 
and Monte Carlo, and as this is fairly familiar to 
most motor-tourists who have had much ex- 
perience in motor-traveling, it calls for little by 
way of description on my part. It will suffice, 
therefore, if I give but a short summary of our 
run to the Riviera. 

[3] 



is 19 




PARIS TO BEAULIEU 

Our first stop after leaving Paris was Sens 
where we rested one hour for lunch before leav- 
ing for Auxerre. We halted, on our way, at 
La Roche Railway Station to pick up one of 
Mr. Payne's bags, which had been sent by train 
from Paris, and then proceeded to Auxerre at 
which town we arrived at twenty minutes past 
five in the afternoon, having made the 168 kilo- 
meters in three hours and thirty-five minutes, 
over wet and slippery roads, full of small holes. 
The weather, however, was fine and warm, as 
was also our welcome at the "Touring Hotel," a 
very comfortable and up-to-date house, where we 
dined and slept. 

The next morning, a few minutes after nine, we 
left Auxerre behind us and were again en route. 
We passed through a dense fog for two hours, 
which delayed us a little, but we were fortunate 
to experience beautiful weather for the rest of the 
day, passing through Avallon under the hour, and 
reaching Chalons, a distance of 173 kilometers, in 
somewhat over three hours. Here we lunched and 
rested for a couple of hours before we set out for 
Macon and Lyons. 

Chalons was reached in just an hour's run, and 
Lyons, 128 kilometers from Chalons, was entered 
at exactly 4: 15 p.m. The sky had become clouded, 

[4] 



PARIS TO BEAULIEU 

after leaving Chalons, with rain threatening, but 
the road surface throughout the whole day's run 
of 310 kilometers was good though wet, and we 
accomplished the entire journey in five hours and 
twenty-seven minutes. 

We left Lyons at 9:10 the next morning, and 
at eleven were speeding through Valence, 101 
kilometers distant. Just twenty minutes later we 
experienced our first puncture. The enforced wait 
in the sunshine, while repairs were being made, 
gave us the time to lower the top, which had been 
sheltering us unnecessarily since we left Paris. 

The roads improved considerably as we ran 
south, and we found that only six "thank-you- 
ma'ams" now exist between Valence and Tain. 
They are all indicated by signs, and most of them 
will be eliminated in the course of another year. 

At 1 1 : 40 we were again on our way and arrived 
at Montelimar at 12:10, w^here we stopped for 
lunch. The hotel here is fair, but it is not con- 
sidered desirable for a night's stay. 

Our morning's run had taken us two hours and 
forty minutes to accomplish, and we left Mon- 
telimar at 1 : 10. We did not halt at Orange, 
which we passed exactly an hour later, but pro- 
ceeded to Marseilles, which we reached at twenty 
minutes past four in the afternoon, having cov- 

[5] 



PARIS TO BEAULIEU 

ered 222 kilometers in three hours and ten minutes. 
The day's run of 323 kilometers was thus made in 
five hours and fifty minutes, and we had glorious 
weather and fine, dry roads all the way. 

The next morning we gave the Mercedes a rest, 
and indulged ourselves in a motor-boat trip, visit- 
ing the harbor and enjoying thoroughly an in- 
teresting experience. In the afternoon we left for 
Toulon where we arrived at 4:10 p.m. Here we 
stayed the night. 

The next morning was sunny and bright, and 
shortly after nine, we were en route for Beaulieu, 
passing through Hyeres twenty minutes after 
leaving Toulon. An hour later we were pulled up 
by another puncture, a front tire this time. In 
spite of the ten minutes' delay, we made Valescure 
at 11 : 30 and stopped then for lunch at the Grand 
Hotel. This hotel, which has been completely 
modernized, is now an excellent stopping place 
and a charming winter resort. 

At 1 : 30 Valescure disappeared in the distance 
behind us, the morning's run taking us two hours 
and forty minutes. Our destination for the night 
was Beaulieu, and this town hove in sight two 
hours and ten minutes later, thus completing a 
delightful day's saunter of 178 kilometers in just 
ten minutes under five hours. 

[61 



PARIS TO BEAULIEU 

During the next three days, from Sunday, 
December 8, to Tuesday, December 10, we gave 
ourselves a respite from the open road, and en- 
joyed the rest which BeauUeu, Monte Carlo and 
Nice afford the tourist. We were making our- 
selves ready for the second stage of our journey 
over the French Alps, which was to take us 
through the plains of Lombardy and down through 
old Italy to Naples and Sicily. 



7] 



BEAULIEU, NAPLES, AND 
PALERMO TO VENICE 

WEDNESDAY, December 1 1 , was ushered 
in by a glorious dawn. We congrat- 
ulated ourselves on our good luck in 
this continued good weather. We had not had a 
drop of rain since leaving Paris! Nothing but 
sunshine, and, what contributed to raise our 
spirits still higher, most dismal reports of weather 
conditions from other parts of the country. Verily 
our "Hoodoo" had forsaken us, temporarily at 
least, or it may be he had not as yet found out 
that we were on the road. 

At 9: 10 A.M. we set off for Turin. Payne now 
volunteered to direct me l)y a new way to the 
Col de Tenda, which would take in Ventimiglia. 
He declared the road was considerably shorter 
than the one I usually took by way of Sospello, 
and the scenery far more beautiful. 

Certainly the scenery was fme, but the road, 
from Ventimiglia on, was simply atrocious, being 
torn to shreds because of a new railroad in course 
of construction down the valley. The frontier, 
too, in this locality, must have been laid out by 



BEAULIEU TO VENICE 

a genius in an advanced stage of inel^riely, for 
we were compelled to cross and re-cross between 
France and Italy no less than six times before we 
reached the Col de Tenda. On each and every 
occasion we had to produce our papers and go 
through the usual wearisome formalities with the 
Douaniers. This business was far from amusing 
and got considerably on our nerves. At one point 
we were in France for only about a quarter of a 
mile, and in a canyon, with precipitous walls of 
1,000 to 1,500 feet on either side, yet we had to 
go through the formality. It seemed ridiculous 
to us that these customs-posts were placed so 
frecjuently along the route. Certainly it was an 
absurd waste of government money. That, for- 
tunately, was no affair of ours. Eventually, we 
reached the summit of the Col de Tenda at 12 : 30, 
and called a welcome halt, for rest and lunch, at 
the entrance to the tunnel. 

Since my last visit to the Col de Tenda, the 
railroad tunnel through the mountain has been 
completed, and trains now operate from Turin 
to Tenda; but, as far as I can judge, it will 
be some years ere this great undertaking will 
l)e completed by connecting Tenda with Venti- 
miglia. 

From an engineering standpoint it is one of the 

[9 1 



BEAULIEU TO VENICE 

finest pieces of work that I have ever seen, con- 
sisting practically only of tunnels through the 
mountains and viaducts spanning the mighty 
canyons. The cost of the road per mile must be 
enormous, and how the government can ever ex- 
pect to get its money back is a mystery to me. 
At intervals along the line ingenious power plants, 
utilizing the waters of the River Roja, are in 
course of erection. 

We started again at one o'clock and entered the 
three-mile tunnel. On emerging on the northern 
side we encountered our first snow. Careful 
driving was now the order of the day, and we 
dropped slowly down the slippery grade into the 
valley, arriving at Turin at 4:30 p.m. The dis- 
tance traversed during the day's run was 211 kilo- 
meters, and we wasted three-quarters of an hour 
in customs formalities. 

The attractions of Turin and the perfect weather 
held us in the city for the whole of the following 
day, but forty-two hours after our arrival, that is 
to say, at 9 : 45 a.m. on Friday, December 13, we 
set out once more. The weather was cold but 
brilliant, and we ran through to Milan, by way of 
Vercelli and Novara, reaching our destination for 
lunch at one o'clock. The whole of the 142 kilo- 
meters we traversed was along a fine road, the 

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BEAULIEU TO VENICE 

surface of which was frozen but quite flat and ex- 
cellent for motoring. 

Our next day's run remains imprinted on our 
memories in somewhat soml^er colors. We left 
Milan for Venice at a quarter l^efore ten in a dense 
fog. The roads were abominable all the way and, 
in the afternoon, from Padua on to Mestre, the 
mist became so thick that progress was almost im- 
possible. These dense fogs are not uncommon, in 
this part of Italy, during the winter months. In 
summer also, at certain times, the dust raised l^y 
swiftly running cars remains floating in the air for 
hours, and cars, following later, find this condi- 
tion almost as unpleasant as the winter fogs, 
though without the chilling cold. 

We stopped for lunch at Brescia at 1 : 30, and 
gave a welcome hour to the repast, after 
our run of 193 kilometers from Milan. A 
punctured tire, of which we were unaware, held 
out, fortunately, until we arrived at Brescia, and 
we made the necessary change while we were 
eating. 

The afternoon's run by way of Verona, Vicence 
and Padua, consumed the five hours between 2:30 
and 7 : 30, and though the distance traversed was 
about 189 kilometers, practically two hours and 
a half were spent in covering the last 38 kilo- 

[11] ' 



BEAULIEU TO VENICE 

meters from Padua to Mestre. The solid wall of 
fog through which we had to pass was so thick 
that the radiator of the machine was literally in- 
visible to us. We found it necessary, finally, to 
light our lamps. While this was being done, a 
horse attached to a cart was frightened by a pass- 
ing steam tram-car, and swerved around just at 
the time of passing us. The rear of the wagon 
caught Payne's bag, for which we had waited at 
La Roche, and tore it open from end to end, 
scattering the contents in every direction. A 
fearful scene ensued, but the driver, luckily for 
him, disappeared in the fog. 

We left the car at Mestre, and proceeded by 
train to Venice, a run of some fifteen or twenty 
minutes. Here we spent the two following days 
and enjoyed the fine weather. 

The charms of Venice, Queen of the Adriatic, 
held us until the following Tuesday morning 
(December 17). As the dense fog of the past few 
days had now given way to a steady downpour of 
rain, we decided to pursue our course southward 
once more. Certainly, our luck in the matter of 
weather, since leaving Paris, had been extraor- 
dinary. We, therefore, took a philosophical view 
of this distinct change for the worse that had now 
befallen us. 

[12 1 



VENICE TO NAPLES 

We were not enamored of a railway journey 
from Mestre, so we chartered a motor launch for 
the return trip. We stowed our baggage on 
board, left Venice at nine in the morning and made 
a most agreeable run to the mainland, in spite of 
the decidedly modest speed our vessel was able to 
attain. Nevertheless, by eleven o'clock, the Mer- 
cedes was again under way, and we sped towards 
Padua, 38 kilometers distant. At fifteen minutes 
after midday we stopped by the roadside to par- 
take of an al fresco lunch made up of the contents 
of our well-provisioned basket. Despite the in- 
clement weather we deemed it wiser to rely on 
our own commissariat than to trust to what we 
could obtain at any of the hotels. We knew from 
past experience what these were in this part of 
the world. 

We were on our way again at one o'clock and 
made capital speed for about forty-five minutes, 
and then a punctured tire caused a sudden halt. 
It was a front one this time, a veteran among tires, 
which had served us well and truly ever since we 
had left Cadiz on our Spanish tour of the previous 
year. Half an hour later found the damage re- 
paired and we ourselves spinning along towards 
Bologna. We ran smoothly through Ferrara with- 
out stopping, but when within 12 kilometers from 

[13 1 



VENICE TO NAPLES 

Bologna, bang, went another tire, and we were 
compelled to spend twenty minutes in repairs. 
We drew up at our destination, finally, at 4:20 
P.M., just as darkness was closing in on us. 

The towns through which we traversed from 
Mestre to Bologna are all extremely interesting. 
The dress of the people is picturesque. The 
curious market carts, drawn by sleek oxen, make 
a charming picture as they wind their snail-like 
way along the country roads. This pleasing 
country is flat and dyked the whole way along a 
new route, its attractiveness being considerably 
enhanced by lines of graceful willow trees which 
fringe the water sluices. Immense fields of grow- 
ing rice in every direction are quite a feature of 
the landscape. The soil is fertile, well cultivated, 
and the farmers appear prosperous and happy. 

In the course of our day's run we crossed the 
River Po by a bridge, where a toll of two francs is 
extorted. The charge is, of course, exorbitant, but 
the bridge is distinctly preferable to the ferry, 
which entails both worry and delay. 

With the next day came a blinding fog, so we 
devoted it to taking in the sights of the town. 

The morning of Thursday, December 19, was 
clear and fine, and by nine o'clock we had left 
Bologna behind us and were skimming along the 

[14 1 




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VENICE TO NAPLES 

road to Florence where we arrived at 12: 20 p.m. 
We stopped for lunch at the Grand Hotel and 
left, at two in the afternoon, for Sienna, 69 kilo- 
meters distant, which we reached at four o'clock. 
We had then made a day's run of 175 kilometers 
in five and a half hours. At Sienna we found ex- 
cellent quarters at the Hotel Royal, a good, clean 
house, where we stayed for the night. 

Our morning's run to Florence, by way of Pas 
de la Futa, was really magnificent. The road is 
good the whole way, and a motor diligence of 
Fiat cars covers the entire route once in twenty- 
four hours. Some of the gradients are very stiff, 
frequently necessitating first speed. The highest 
elevation is 3,000 feet, at the summit of the route. 

Several villages of little interest were passed 
through. The country folk, however, when 
treated with consideration, are kindly disposed. 

At the highest point of the route we took a 
number of photographs and obtained some won- 
derful cloud effects, especially from the extreme 
summit, when we were some 500 feet above the 
clouds. The view presented to us here as we gazed 
down was like that of a vast beautiful sea of mist, 
which unfolded itself for miles before our eyes. 

At the little village of Monghidora, close to the 
summit, we found the people's market day in full 

[15] 



VENICE TO NAPLES 

swing. We lingered here gladly for a few minutes 
to enjoy the lively and picturesque sight. 

The descent on the southern edge of the moun- 
tain was far easier than the climb up from Bo- 
logna, and the road was somewhat better. It is 
less obstructed by loose stones, and there were 
fewer awkward sharp curves. 

The whole country through which w^e were 
traveling began to take on an appearance of great 
fertility. Numerous carefully tended vineyards 
are quite a feature of the landscape, and small 
snug-looking farms are dotted here and there. 
We were particularly impressed by the magnifi- 
cent oxen, beasts of enormous size, with horns 
longer even than those of the famous animals to 
be seen in northern Portugal. 

A few minutes after we had passed through 
Monteriggrion the grand old city of Sienna ap- 
peared before us, its two large and handsome gates 
on the outskirts of the town being conspicuous as 
we approached. 

Sienna is an ancient and interesting city, full of 
fme buildings and attractive streets and possess- 
ing a superb cathedral built of white and black 
marble, which we made a point of visiting before 
proceeding to our hotel. That Sienna is alive to 
the acquirements of modern civilization is evi- 

f 16 1 




72 



So 



VENICE TO NAPLES 

denced by the existence of a trackless trolley serv- 
ice, the current for propelling the machines being 
conveyed by a system of overhead wires. 

Friday morning broke fine, but cold, and at 
9:10 we left Sienna for the Imperial City. At 
once we found ourselves in a somewhat mountain- 
ous country, more so indeed than the country we 
traversed on our run from Florence to Sienna, 
though not accentuated to the extent we had 
experienced on the morning's run from Bologna 
to Florence. The road winds continuously and 
passes through a rather deserted country, remark- 
able for its volcanic nature. During the whole 
journey we were ever ascending and descending, 
with very few level stretches between. 

We passed Acquapendente at 12:30, 95 kilo- 
meters from Sienna. Ten minutes later we were 
in the square of the town of San Lorenzo, and saw 
to the south the great Lake of Bolsena. A truly 
magnificent sight! The lake is vast and sur- 
rounded by towering mountains. Its placid sur- 
face is dotted with numerous islands, and its water 
is of the color of the deepest turquoise. The 
lovely picture imprinted itself on our minds as 
one of the finest views we had ever seen. 

Viterbo, the next large town of importance, is 
clean and interesting, and the Grand Hotel, just 

[17 1 



VENICE TO NAPLES 

within the gates, looks quite imposing from the 
outside; but as we had our lunch basket with us 
we passed on without stopping. At one o'clock 
sharp we pulled up on the top of a mountain, 60 
kilometers from Rome, and enjoyed our midday 
repast. Right beneath us lay the Lac du Vico, 
and a superb view extending as far as the eye could 
see to the southward. The afternoon's run, con- 
stantly down grade, was completed in two and a 
half hours, and the gates of Rome reached at 
2:35 P.M. We had traveled at an average speed 
of about 44 kilometers per hour, without a mis- 
hap of any kind. 

Our stay in Rome was short — for the night 
only. 

Saturday, December 21, was cloudy and windy, 
and we left the city at 9:15 a.m., intending to 
make Naples by sunset. 

For the first 30 kilometers we found the road 
to be somewhat rut-worn, but it improved con- 
siderably as we progressed. We were now tra- 
versing some of the oldest historic highways in 
the world. 

The country through which we were passing is 
distinctly pleasing; consisting mainly of an im- 
mense plain, fairly fertile in appearance. East 
and west of us were visible huge mountain ranges 

[18 1 



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VENICE TO NAPLES 

— the Sabine Mountains to the east and the 
Lepini range on the west. These converged to the 
south into a valley through which our road passed 
and upon the sides of which were built several 
old fortified villages. Beyond this the flat plain 
appears like a vast natural garden which, however, 
seems to be but sparsely peopled. 

A stiff climb brought us to Ceprano, an interest- 
ing old town through which we passed at 1 1 : 50. 
Luckily for us the highways do not cut through 
but circumvent the outskirts of the village, so 
that for once we were able to avoid the unpleas- 
antness which motorists usually experience when 
coming into a town on a market day or a like 
celebration in this part of the country. 

At Ceprano it is necessary to alter one's course 
to northeast for some 15-odd kilometers, to the 
village of Arce, where the road once more turns 
to the right, and a south-southeast direction is 
resumed. We were close to the mountains now, 
and the ground under us became more undulating. 

Many of the villages possess a quaint charm 
and, for this part of the world are surprisingly 
clean. We came on market day to Cassino, a 
little village at which we arrived shortly after 
noon. We were obliged to crawl along the main 
street at a snail's pace, causing much uneasiness 

[19] 



VENICE TO NAPLES 

and confusion among the peasantry, who were 
evidently not accustomed to the visits of motor 
cars. 

After leaving Cassino we found a fairly shel- 
tered spot under the lea of the hillside, and, though 
the wind whistling about us gave us considerable 
discomfort, we stopped forty-five minutes for 
lunch, and emptied our basket. We were about 
to start again when the rain, which had been 
threatening all morning, began to fall. AYe raised 
the hood of the car and ran on to Teano through 
a steady downpour. 

It was at Teano, in 1905, that Mr. Arthur T. 
Kemp and I spent many hours waiting for a train 
to take us to Rome, because our Hotchkiss car 
had broken down. 

From Teano on, the road resumes its flat and 
level character; the mountains gradually disap- 
peared, and soon we were rushing over a large 
fertile plain once more. The kilometer stones 
here are of a unique character, each and all are 
absolutely illegible. Payne and I were completely 
puzzled as to the reason for their erection. 

Forty kilometers from Naples the rain ceased, 
but unfortunately for us, the good road we had 
been traversing ceased abruptly also at the same 
spot, and an indescribably bad one took its place. 

[20 1 



VENICE TO NAPLES 

The surface was almost like a ploughed field. 
Wagons crawling along in all directions, blind and 
decrepit inhabitants wandering along the middle 
of the highways, beggars running after the car, 
and barking dogs, rendered progress almost im- 
possible. 

Finally, just at four o'clock in the afternoon, we 
entered the outlying parts of the town and — 
well, the least said about the suburbs of this 
beautiful city the better. The street-cleaning de- 
partment must have retired at the time of Caesar, 
for the accumulated filth of generations was piled 
up on all sides. 

It is no joke to run a large car through these 
streets. Traffic regulations do not exist. Each is 
for himself and must get there the best way he 
can. To many of the drivers the sidewalk and 
the middle of the street are one and the same 
thing, so that the unfortunate pedestrian is kept 
constantly on the jump to preserve his existence. 
Nevertheless, the same type of pedestrian is met 
here that we meet in all towns — individuals who 
insist on walking down the middle of the road, 
looking neither to the right nor left, and who seem 
to preserve their lives by a miracle. In this town 
numbers of such people are to ])e seen reading 
their local papers, placidly smoking their pipes, or 

[21 1 



VENICE TO NAPLES 

strolling along half asleep, and all of them seem- 
ingly protected by a Divine Providence, no doubt 
for some excellent though unknown reason. 

Our tires suffered real damage running through 
Italy owing partly to our being heavily laden with 
baggage, and partly to our having the misfortune 
to travel just at that time of the year when repair 
gangs were strewing the road surface with broken 
stones which are left to be rolled in by passing 
vehicles. On the roads of southern Italy, road- 
rollers are conspicuous by their absence. 

During the day, in the different sections of the 
country through which we passed, we noted several 
marked changes in the people's mode of living. 
Between Rome and Cassino, oxen, and remarkedly 
fme specimens of them, are used as draft animals 
and beasts of burden. From Cassino southward 
to Naples these handsome creatures are entirely 
supplanted by small, sickly looking horses, har- 
nessed three or four abreast, and pulling enormous 
loads on wagons with very large wheels, resem- 
bling somewhat those used in the Island of Cuba. 
The harness is picturesque, the pommels being 
decorated with large silver ornaments. Bits are 
eliminated, a simple form of nose-gear being used 
instead. 

The people, themselves, though painfully spar- 
[22 1 



VENICE TO NAPLES 

ing in the use of soap, are picturesque; it would 
do the Suffragists much good to visit this part of 
the world. In Ceprano and Cassino, for instance, 
where market days were in full swing, the women 
were doing all the work, carrying loads of market 
produce on their heads. And what loads! Cer- 
tainly from fifty to a hundred pounds in weight, 
and seemingly ponderous enough to have crushed 
one of Caesar's legionaries. The men walked lazily 
by, carrying, almost invariably, an umbrella, a 
peculiarity that forced itself on our notice to 
such an extent that we dubbed the men, "the 
great army of overworked umbrella carriers." 
If by chance a couple owned a mule or a donkey, 
the man was always on the animal's back, while 
his wife would run alongside carrying a load of 
some kind on her head. 

Our day's run totaled 238 kilometers, and this, 
considering the rain and the bad stretches of 
road and sundry delays due to markets and pedes- 
trians, we did well to cover in six hours. As for 
my traveling companion, I must give him credit 
for enduring so well the tossing about we expe- 
rienced. He finished the day very tired and sore, 
but the prospect of a few days' rest by the mag- 
nificent Bay of Naples, brought him cheerfully on 
deck again, all smiles, the next morning. 

[23] 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

Our rooms at the Grand Hotel, delightfully 
situated, facing the sea, were bathed in sunshine 
when we took up our quarters. We stayed in 
Naples from Sunday, December 22, to Tuesday, 
December 24, and it rained in torrents during the 
three days. 

Wednesday was Christmas Day. It had been 
our intention to motor all the way from Naples 
to Reggio, on the Straits of Messina; but we found 
that the roads were practically impassable. Fur- 
thermore, there are no towns at which to stop, 
and the inhabitants bear an evil reputation, the 
district being infested by many brigands. We 
were, therefore, compelled to give up our project, 
and we sent the car to the port to be shipped by 
steamer to Reggio. 

Our troubles, happily so far avoided, came 
upon us now with a vengeance. The first was 
due to the laborers who, because it was Christmas 
Day and, therefore, a holiday, refused to ship the 
motor. Then, the next day (Tuesday, December 
26), when another steamer was due to leave, the 
last available for several days, the hoisting crane 
broke and the car was nearly dropped into the 
bay. Owing to our absence the mechanic had 
to act for himself; he decided, very wisely, 
not to trust the vagaries of the steamship com- 

[ 24 ] 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

pany, and hired a truck and sent the motor by 
rail. 

We, on our part, unwilling to lose the exquisite 
day and the opportunity of taking in the Italian 
Corniche, engaged a motor and drove from Naples 
to Salerno by way of Sorrento. 

We set out at half-past nine in the morning and 
proceeded to Castellammare, over a wretchedly 
paved highway. 

The roads in the vicinity of Naples, especially 
those to the south, are constructed of great blocks 
of lava, transported from the neighborhood of 
Vesuvius. Owing to lack of care the road-surface 
had become very uneven, and in many places 
whole blocks had been taken out entirely. These 
large holes make excellent traps for an unwary 
chauffeur who is liable to drive his car into them 
with the certainty of serious accident. 

Naples to the south, like Naples to the north, is 
one of the worst towns in Europe through which to 
pass. It simply swarms with children, peddlers' 
carts and dirt, and one is kept continually won- 
dering as to what may happen the next moment. 
After sixteen miles of this we were still traversing 
the city's suburbs, which appear to be laid out in 
the form of one immense street. 

At 11:15 we finally entered Castellammare, 19 
[25 1 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

kilometers from Naples, and from here on the 
hustle and bustle were left behind and a fairly 
good road encountered all the way to Sorrento, 
a distance of 31 kilometers. An electric train, 
which runs along the side of the road, kept us 
company from Castellammare to Sorrento. This 
train is the only means of communication, except 
by sea, with the city of Naples. 

The country, in this neighborhood, is superb in 
its beauty. High mountains towered to the south 
of us, while the glorious Gulf of Naples shimmered 
in the sun on our right, with Naples and Mount 
Vesuvius looming up in the far distance. The 
road itself is cut out of the rock, and is tunneled 
and bridged in many places. The vegetation is 
very luxuriant. Mandarin trees hung heavy 
with fruit; flowers were in bloom on all sides, and 
with the bright rays of the sun pouring down on 
us, it was hard to realize that it was Christmas 
Day. 

Just after midday we drew up in front of the 
old cloister in Sorrento, which had been con- 
verted into a hotel, and ordered a good meal to be 
served on the veranda, facing a magnificent 
garden. Thanks to the careful driving and good 
judgment shown by our chauffeur, who never 
exceeded twenty miles an hour, we enjoyed our 

[26] 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

ride immensely, and now looked forward with 
pleasure to what was to be in store for us during 
the afternoon. When we left this quaintly, clean 
and picturesque old town, which is one of Italy's 
favorite winter resorts, we regretted keenly that 
our stay in it had been so short. But time was 
pressing and we had a long distance to cover. 

Climbing the mountain which separated us 
from the Gulf of Salerno, a magnificent view spread 
itself before us. Orange and lemon groves stretched 
away in every direction, dotted with beautiful 
villas which showed a gleaming white against the 
dark foliage of the trees. These set off ])y the 
brilliant blue of the sea and the beauty of the 
little Island of Capri away on our right to the 
south of Naples, made a picture which many famous 
artists have attempted to fix on canvas. 

Finally Monte Tore hove in sight, and the 
summit of the climb was attained. To the south 
of us spread the great Mediterranean and the 
Gulf of Salerno. Involuntarily we stopped to 
gaze on the magnificent view. It is worth men- 
tioning that the drive from Sorrento to Salerno 
is considered by many to be the finest in the 
world, and after we had reached our destination 
that night, we decided that it certainly deserved 
its reputation. 

[27 1 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

Leaving the height of Monte Tore we descended 
to within 1,500 feet of the sea, and following cau- 
tiously a road cut in the sheer side of the moun- 
tain and tunneled through parts of it, we crossed 
several ravines and bridges, with waterfalls and 
cascades all around us. Walled towns, hanging, 
one might say, by their eyelashes to the side of 
the hills, are seen here and there. All of them 
are interesting, and many of them built hun- 
dreds of years ago. The people are a fme race 
and surprisingly agreeable. Once in a while the 
proverbial bad boy would throw a stone at us, 
but throughout the day only three were dis- 
charged at us. They were all well shot, two of 
them hit me, and one fell into the car between 
Payne and myself. This last stone was rather a 
large one, and had it been more accurately aimed 
would undoubtedly have done harm. 

As it was Christmas, the young folks were, of 
course, celebrating. Their toys were certainly 
peculiar, many of them taking the form of bombs. 
One of these was so accurately discharged that 
it exploded under the car, almost paralyzing the 
mechanic, who nearly drove us over the cliff into 
the sea hundreds of feet below. 

We passed Positano and Prajano without fur- 
ther incident. Neither of these places is fit for 

[28] 




<: 

w 

H 

o 



w 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

the tourist to stop at. They are interesting his- 
torically and are very picturesque to the eye. 

Amalfi came next, situated close to the sea, 
and forming a l^eautiful picture as we entered it 
after a steep drop. We did not stay to investi- 
gate the place, although tourists say that the hotel 
accommodation is fairly good. From its ap- 
pearance we thought it better to pass on. 

After we left Amalfi behind, we once more 
climl)ed to a considerable height, and found that 
the road surface was l)y no means in as good con- 
dition as we had found it previously. This was 
owing to the diligence service which runs iDetween 
this town and Salerno. The scenery, though very 
fme, is devoid of the wildness, which had so 
appealed to us after leaving Sorrento. 

Rounding Cape d'Orso we took a sharp turn to 
the left at Yitri, and made for the town of Cava 
just as it was growing dark. On the outskirts of 
the town we found, what is for this part of the 
world, a good hotel, and having dismissed our 
chauffeur and paid him the two hundred francs 
agreed upon for the day's drive, we settled down 
in front of a welcome fire for rest and dinner. 
We were to take the train later for an all-night 
journey which was to land us in Messina the 
following morning. 

[29] 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

Cava is a very ancient town and has the ap- 
pearance of being quite an interesting place. It 
possesses long, narrow streets, lined on both sides 
with heavily constructed arcades. I imagine, 
however, that all its interest could be exhausted 
in the course of a few hours. 

Before leaving Naples we had taken the pre- 
caution to purchase our tickets and to reserve 
two staterooms on the Wagons-lits. This we 
did to avoid trouble when our train came into 
Cava, and also that we might pass a comfortable 
night on the way to Messina. What was our sur- 
prise, therefore, on entering our car to find both 
compartments occupied. 

An argument with an impertinent Wagons-lits 
official almost caused our arrest, and after con- 
siderable discussion we finally had to content 
ourselves with one compartment instead of the 
two for which we had paid. 

I have traveled for many years in Europe, but 
had never read the printed matter on the back of 
a Wagons-lits ticket. On studying it now I 
found it clearly stated that anybody purchasing 
a compartment between two points, even if he 
has paid for it, who does not notify the company, 
forfeits his ticket and the money, if he does not 
get on the train at the place from which his reser- 

[30] 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

vation was taken. We had boarded the train 
three stations after it had left Naples, so that the 
conductor was strictly within his rights. What a 
law! And how long would the American public 
stand for such a regulation? 

W^e had a fairly comfortable night. It poured 
hard and both of us were congratulating ourselves 
that we were not piloting a car over the bad roads 
of southern Italy. 

The train halted at Villa San Giovanni and the 
Straits of Messina lay at our feet. For the last 
few miles of our journey we had passed through 
numerous camps erected since the frightful earth- 
quake shock, which occurred on the morning of 
December 28, 1908. Ruined villages were to be 
seen in all directions, while in places the sea had 
carried away a considerable portion of the water- 
front. 

At Villa San Giovanni the entire train, with 
the exception of our Wagons-lits, was put on a 
boat and transferred to Messina, from whence 
it continued on its route to Palermo. Once on 
board the steamer we dived below for a cup of 
what proved to be indescribably bad coffee, and 
then went back on deck to admire the magnificent 
view. 

After a short run across the straits we reached 

[31 1 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

Messina pier at 8:30 in the morning. What a 
frightful sight met our eyes! The town appeared 
as if it had been bombarded the previous even- 
ing. The once magnificent water-front was en- 
tirely destroyed, as were also nine-tenths of the 
remaining buildings. We engaged a cab, almost 
as dilapidated as the buildings, and drove to the 
Regina Hotel, a small frame building erected by 
the Americans near the center of the American 
camp on the southerly outskirts of old Messina. 
This structure, which was brought over intact 
from the United States, is a replica of the summer 
hotels to be found on the south shores of Long 
Island. We were, however, made very comfort- 
able, and with a fme view of the straits from our 
window, we enjoyed the southern sunshine and 
the life and bustle of the passing ships. 

After the luxury of a bath and a good break- 
fast, we left the hotel, and with the aid of a guide, 
went for a tour of exploration through the ruined 
city. 

In this place ninety thousand lives were wiped 
out in the course of thirty-three seconds, and 
it is estimated that there still remain twenty 
thousand bodies buried beneath the ruins. Build- 
ings which had stood during centuries and had 
been erected by generations of continual labor 

[32 1 




AMERICAN QUARTERS AT MESSINA 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

were blotted out of existence in a little over half 
a minute. 

We took a number of photographs, but as the 
weather was not favorable we had some diffi- 
culty in obtaining anything like good results. 
Nevertheless, some of the pictures turned out 
fairly satisfactorily and will give some idea of the 
terrible ravages of the shock. 

The earthquake performed a num])er of freak- 
ish tricks during its progress beneath this part of 
the globe's surface. For instance, the large 
Opera House, which we visited, stood quite in- 
tact, except for the floor which was now raised 
from three to six feet. Most of the poor people 
who had left the entertainment there at two 
o'clock that morning had been killed. Had they 
remained in the theatre, or had the shock come a 
few hours earlier, they would all have been saved. 

Another remarkable instance I noticed was that 
of a magnificent villa which was standing up by 
itself in a small park, absolutely intact, without a 
window broken, while around it for a quarter of a 
mile in every direction not a house was left 
standing. 

The place is a veritable tomb, and it is now being 
slowly excavated under police surveillance. With 
every spadeful of earth some relic of by-gone 

[33] 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

glory is brought to light. Messina was famous as 
one of the finest cities of ancient Italy, and was 
renowned for its magnificent churches, its gor- 
geous palaces, its superb gardens and its charm- 
ingly quaint by-ways. It possessed a dignity and 
a grace not to be seen in any other European 
city of its size. All this is a thing of the past 
now. 

As for the new town, it is laid out in long, 
straight avenues, and resembles strongly one of 
our growing western cities. Some of the streets 
are being paved, others are only just being opened 
up. All are lined by one-story modern structures 
and occasionally large stone blocks are being used 
as shelters. As each building requires the same 
depth for a foundation as its height, all are built 
of one-story only. 

Over half the city has now been rebuilt with the 
help of funds donated by various nations. The 
houses are leased by the municipality to the in- 
habitants who pay two or three lires per month 
for rent. These are becoming so overcrowded 
that the people are continually suffering and 
fevers are very prevalent. The drainage system 
also is very bad. Despite these disadvantages, 
however, the population of the city is largely on 
the increase. 

[34] 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

Our "Hoodoo," who, prior to our departure 
from Naples, had probably failed to discover our 
whereabouts, now joined our party. The car, 
which we were expecting by the morning's steamer, 
failed to turn up. Of course, we were not aware 
of the fact that the mechanic, because of the 
holiday, had been unable to get it on the ship. 
We waited, therefore, with what patience we 
could for the next boat, which was due the fol- 
lowing morning. As we had received no dispatch 
relative to the car's shipment, we decided that it 
would surely arrive within twenty-four hours. 

Upon our return to the hotel we learned that a 
tremendous earthquake had occurred the d^y 
before our arrival, which had toppled down many 
of the old structures, and so frightening the in- 
habitants that a panic had occurred in several 
parts of the town. This quake has ])een recorded 
as the worst since the disastrous shock of 1908. 
The report frightened my traveling companion to 
such a degree that he was almost tempted to 
charter a rowboat and sleep in it; and those who 
know his dislike for the water will understand 
what his sufferings must have l^een. 

The atmosphere of this place had such a de- 
pressing effect on me that I decided to gather 
what information I could regarding the roads in 

[35] 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

Sicily. I was very anxious to depart as soon as 
possible for Palermo. Unfortunately nobody knew 
very much about the island. Most of the former 
inhabitants had been killed in the earthquake, 
and the new settlers were unable to give me the 
desired information. I decided, therefore, that 
the best course to pursue would be to inquire at 
a garage as to the condition of the roads between 
Messina and Palermo. As luck would have it, a 
motorist, an amusing Italian fellow, drove up and 
surprised the hotel proprietor by stating that he 
had left for Palermo the day before, but the earth- 
quake had unfortunately carried off part of Cape 
Calava, and had taken the road with it into the 
sea. As he was unable to proceed, he was com- 
pelled to return to the hotel. 

The question was now, what should we do? 
Take a side trip to Taormina, 59 kilometers dis- 
tant, or wait at this stupid place for the arrival of 
the car from Naples to-morrow morning? After a 
long discussion with Payne we decided to adopt 
the latter course. 

A beautiful morning saw us both down bright and 
early to welcome the car on board the incoming 
boat ; but when the ship arrived, it was minus the 
motor! Before we could recover from our disap- 
pointment, our mechanic arrived by the boat train, 

[36 1 




o 

Q 

Z 
I— I 

u 

H 
O 

H 
H 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

and brought with him our baggage, which enabled 
us to enjoy the luxury of a much-needed change. 

He explained the circumstance of the breaking 
down of the crane on the second day, and assured 
us that the car would arrive by rail the next 
morning. We thereupon decided that we would 
take the train to Taormina, giving instructions to 
the mechanic to drive there the next morning as 
soon as he obtained possession of the car. This, 
we calculated, would enable us to take an inland 
route through Nicosia and Cefalu to Palermo in 
time to catch the weekly boat sailing for Tunis 
on Tuesday, December 31. 

The train journey from Messina to Taormina 
is very fine. The Straits of Messina can be seen 
on one side gradually broadening out to the 
Mediterranean, and fertile ground through which 
we passed kept us in a state of continued admira- 
tion for the lovely scenery. The villages, like the 
inhabitants, are very dirty, but the vineyards, 
and orange and lemon groves magnificent. 

It was not long before we arrived at Taormina, 
where we arranged for a drive by landau up the 
mountainside to the little village which nestled 
on the top of one of the peaks, a few miles to the 
north of Mount Etna. The scene as we entered 
the town was wonderfully impressive, with the 

[37 1 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

sun just setting behind the clean, picturesque old 
place surrounded by beautiful villas. We stopped 
at the Grand Hotel International. We found it an 
excellent place, and from our windows obtained 
fine views of the sea, some 600 feet below — a 
magnificent panorama, the smoking crater of 
Mount Etna in the distance. Delightfully clean 
rooms with electric light, a parlor and bath, gave 
us the welcome opportunity to relax and to feel 
once more the joy of being alive. 

Saturday, December 28, was a beautiful day, and 
we spent it taking photographs of Mount Etna 
and of several views of the sea as well as numerous 
scenes of the town. To relieve the monotony of 
the remainder of the day we visited the famous 
Greek theatre on top of the hill, most interest- 
ing and beautifully situated. Then came word 
from Messina by telegraph, that the car was 
twenty-four hours late. We wired to Messina 
instructing the mechanic to be at Taormina with 
the car the next morning, without fail, after 
which we retired to rest leaving a call for five 
o'clock the next morning. I was now getting 
decidedly nervous, for unless the car arrived the 
following morning at seven o'clock we would not 
be able to take the inland route to Palermo, a two 
days' trip, and reach there in time to catch the 

[38] 




CHURCH IN THE VILLAGE OF TAORMINA 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

steamer which we had decided on taking from 
Trapani, at the western end of the Island. Such 
a mishap would cause numerous complications, 
entailing a delay of a whole week on the Island of 
Sicily, and shortening our trip to northern Africa 
by just that amount of time. 

The next morning we w^ere up long before sun- 
rise and were waiting, fully dressed for the road, 
the long-looked-for arrival of the car. As we stood 
at the hotel door in anxious expectancy we thought 
every sound we heard was the machine's exhaust 
as it panted up the side of the mountain, but, 
alas, it was a false alarm every time. We became 
so restless that we finally hired a small car belong- 
ing to a private individual in the town to take us 
to the foot of the mountain, where the roads 
branch, one leading to Catane, the other to Mes- 
sina. We hoped, by this means, to save from 
half an hour to forty-five minutes, when our car 
should arrive, and so shorten our day's run across 
the island. 

Half-past nine arrived and no car. We were 
still sitting, waiting on the main highway. At 
10: 15 our patience gave out and we engaged the 
driver to take us on to Messina, hoping to way- 
lay my car on the road. What a drive that was! 
"Thank-you-ma'ams," wash-outs, filthy streets, 

[39 1 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

and disagreeable inhabitants met us at every turn ; 
but the marvelous beauty of the country which 
surrounded us on all sides almost compensated 
for the distress of mind caused by the bedlam 
through which we were passing. 

At a quarter past twelve and ten kilometers 
from Messina, we finally met our long-lost car. 
We now decided quickly that the only way possi- 
ble for us to catch the steamer at Palermo would 
be to return at once to Messina, reload the car, 
and send it through by rail. The train left at 
12:50 and we were still 10 kilometers distant 
from the station. 

A "race for life," as we called it, now followed 
to get out of the predicament into which we had 
unwillingly fallen; but we arrived at the depot in 
time to catch the train with five minutes to spare. 
Tickets purchased, instructions to station agent, 
innumerable tips all round, and we left the me- 
chanic behind to reload the car, and then we, with 
our own baggage in our compartment, and still 
shouting out last instructions, were pulled out of 
the station en route to Palermo. 

Payne was in an exhausted condition. He w^as 
for returning to Paris at once. He had never 
traveled with anybody like me he said, he had 
lost his traveling bag, almost all his clothes, had 

[40] 




CHURCH IN THE VILLAGE OF TAORMINA 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

been unable to collect any mail. In fact, he 
said, he was so worn out that he wanted no more 
of it. 

Nevertheless, before another half hour had 
passed, and after a capital lunch in the dining car, 
which we fortunately found attached to the train, 
and after enjoying the fine scenery, he recovered 
his pleasant frame of mind, and by the time we 
arrived at Palermo that evening, he declared him- 
self game for anything, and was only too glad to 
go on. 

We had l)oth of us definitely made up our minds 
that our two and three-quarter hours' morning 
run from Taormina to Messina had given us a 
perfect idea of Sicilian roads, and that we had not 
missed much by omitting the run through to 
Palermo. 

We calculated, if the car left Messina at night, 
it should surely reach Palermo next day in time 
to catch the steamer leaving that night or early 
on Tuesday morning. Comforting ourselves in 
every way with this idea, we retired at the Hotel 
Igia Palace, in rooms fit for the occupancy of the 
members of a royal family. The hotel is located 
in a charming position l)y the sea, on the out- 
skirts of the town, in the midst of a magnificent 
garden. It is huge in size, quite up-to-date in its 

[41] 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

appointments, and the finest winter resort in this 
part of the world. 

The town of Palermo is well known to the 
tourist, and its attractions have been recorded so 
many times that I will not attempt any descrip- 
tion of it. 

Our visits next day, in ideal weather, included 
many places of interest in the town, among 
which are a monastery and the catacombs. We 
also inspected two handsome villas, the botanical 
gardens and in the evening took in the theatre. 

Our steamer was due to sail the following 
morning, and on emerging from the theatre we 
learned to our disgust that the car had not ar- 
rived. We were also told that at Trapani, where 
we had hoped to load the car, the crane was not 
sufTiciently strong to lift the motor, and it would 
have to be put on board at Palermo. Once more, 
therefore, our hopes were shattered, and once 
more we were haunted by visions of a week's 
extra delay, owing to our "Hoodoo's" mischievous 
work. To add to our misfortunes Payne had 
caught a bad cold in one of his eyes through driv- 
ing to the monastery without goggles. 

At breakfast, next morning, we were still 
without news of the car, and our boat was to sail 
at one in the afternoon. Payne's eye was badly 

[42 1 




o 

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O 

H 
O 
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o 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

inflamed, Init he kept looking to the sea trip for 
rest and a cure. At half-past ten a telephone mes- 
sage announced the arrival at the station of the 
van containing our wandering car. I need not 
descant on the cost of getting it there in the 
matter of tips. It had been side-tracked after 
leaving Messina, and I verily believe that every- 
body throughout the length and l^readth of Sicily 
knew all about that car and its adventures along 
the north shore of the island. 

And now things began to be as exciting as a 
horse-race. The question was, who would win? 
The steamship agents flatly refused to load the 
car, declaring that it was now far too late and 
must stay on the island another week. The 
customs officials also were shy, and everything 
was at a standstill. But gold soon set them in 
motion again, and we finally left the hotel laden 
with our bags for the good ship. We got on 
board at half-past twelve and hurrying forward 
w4th questions we learned that the car had not 
yet arrived and was not even in sight. Payne, 
with his inflamed eye, did not care what would 
happen. Ten minutes later, however, we were 
amazed to see, on looking across the harbor, our 
Mercedes advancing towards us across the air. 
There she was, hanging from a large steam- 

[43] 



NAPLES TO PALERMO 

derrick, some 50 feet above the water, looking 
more like a scarf-pin than a real motor. In a few 
minutes she was on board and was safely stacked 
away while the anchor was being raised. Five 
minutes later we were steaming out of the harbor. 

We had won ! But it had been a long and try- 
ing race, and after troubles and misfortunes 
which had lasted for seven whole days. 

Our voyage was uneventful. The sea was 
calm and we glided over it smoothly. In the 
course of the afternoon we obtained some re- 
markably fme views of the northern coast of 
Sicily, and at five o'clock entered the harbor 
of Trapani. We went ashore and took a good 
look at the town. It is a clean little place, with 
a hotel, the Grand, very inviting and comfort- 
able for tourists who would linger here for a time. 
The harbor is good, and the lofty mountains 
which form a fme background to the picture are 
very imposing. We left Trapani at eight o'clock, 
and sailing over a sea as smooth as glass, we ar- 
rived at Tunis at seven the next morning. 



44] 



TOUR THROUGH TUNIS AND 
ALGIERS 

WE were welcomed to Tunis by a squall of 
rain and wind, which met us just as we 
landed. Leaving the mechanic to ar- 
range for the landing of the car, we proceeded to 
the Tunisia Palace Hotel. 

During the day we visited the mosques and the 
Souks' quarters. Tunis is a city of great interest 
to the stranger visitor. The houses, one story 
white-washed affairs, are separated by narrow 
streets, down the middle of which runs the sew- 
age. The tourist is constantly compelled during 
his walks in this part of the town, to hold his 
breath, as the odors emitted are anything but 
agreeable. The European part of the city is laid 
out with excellent taste in large and fine ])oule- 
vards with handsome buildings, the work of 
French engineers. It was difficult to realize that 
we were in northern Africa and not in France, so 
much does Tunis resemble Marseilles or Toulon. 

There are about 214,000 inhabitants, consisting 
of 100,000 Arabs, 50,000 Jews, 14,000 French, 

[45] 



TUNIS 

and 50,000 Italians and Sicilians. The city is of 
great antiquity, its foundation dating back to the 
time of ancient Carthage, which, although now in 
ruins, is its nearest neighbor. Its defenses have 
encountered many attacks. It was conquered by 
Arabs, Spaniards, and Turks. By the Treaty of 
Bardo, it came under the protection of France, 
in 1881, to which happy event it owes its present 
flourishing condition. A dredged channel from 
the Mediterranean has opened up the port to the 
traffic of the sea, and with numerous railway 
lines and a splendid system of highways centering 
in this locality, the commerce and business trans- 
acted in Tunis are continually on the increase. 

Carthage, located on Cape Carthage, is well 
worth a visit. It is of unusual historical and archi- 
tectual interest; but as both my guest and I had 
been there on former occasions, we decided that a 
trip to the south at this time would hold more 
interest for us. 

The next morning we left Tunis on our south- 
ward journey intending to make Sousse by lunch 
time. Soon after leaving the city we entered a 
broad, fertile and well cultivated plain. Payne 
began the day by forgetting his goggles, which 
necessitated our returning to the hotel. But no 
sooner had we gotten under way a second time, 

[46] 



THROUGH TUNIS AND ALGIERS 

than his hat blew off — a beautiful large one, 
which he insisted on sporting in southern climes. 

This was my first motor trip in northern Africa, 
and I was, therefore, keenly eager to enjoy it. 
Before us lay an absolutely unknown country, full 
of interesting places at every turn. Yet, after a 
very short experience, I could not help remarking 
how quickly one becomes accustomed to novel 
sights and unusual modes of living. After twenty- 
four hours of travel, the sight of a caravan of 
camels, or a picturesque troupe of Bedouins be- 
came commonplace to us, and aroused scarcely 
more interest than an ordinary cart or a tramp 
would in the United States. Nevertheless, these 
camels are extremely attractive to the eye, and 
the huge docile beasts of burden are most inter- 
esting to observe. 

The road is flat and good to within 20 kilo- 
meters of Sousse, and there are many stretches of 
fertile land which produce olives in great quanti- 
ties. Good grazing ground was passed and hun- 
dreds of camels were to be seen feeding and lazily 
replenishing their humps for another journey 
across the desert. It may be of interest to my 
readers, to learn, what perhaps few know, that 
the camel while traveling in the desert, takes 
nourishment from his hump, and that his stomach, 

[47 1 



TUNIS 

which is divided into three compartments, provides 
him with the water necessary to quench his thirst. 
At the end of his trip his hump has generally 
disappeared, and it is necessary to turn him out to 
feed until he has recovered his normal condition. 

At intervals along the road we noticed large 
swamps, their desert sands covered with sage 
brush and cactus ; the villages also which we passed 
are fairly clean, but not numerous, consisting 
mainly of small collections of one-story, white- 
washed houses. In the fields lonely huts were to 
be seen, built of brush and mud, and in every case 
surrounded by a wall of wooden stakes to keep out 
the wild beasts at night. Their inhabitants also 
showed good grace in allowing us room to pass, 
which was a welcome change and marked im- 
provement on the behavior of the Italians we had 
just left behind us. The small boys also are ad- 
mirably well behaved, for the whole day passed 
without a stone being thrown at us. 

The main line of the railroad, which runs from 
Tunis in a southerly direction, touches Sousse 
and Sfax, and then runs inland to the mines at 
Gafsa. It is a narrow-gauge line, fairly well con- 
structed, and is owned by a company which, I 
believe, operates it in connection with its mining 
interests. It is mainly used for carrying ore, for 

[48] 



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THROUGH TUNIS AND ALGIERS 

there is very little passenger traffic. Tourists 
should exercise great caution in running down 
this road, because the grade crossings are frequent 
and are absolutely unguarded. 

As we sped southward, we noticed high moun- 
tains some thirty miles inland on our right. The 
few small ponds which we passed now and then 
were almost always surrounded by camels and large 
flocks of wild birds. Ninety-one kilometers from 
Tunis we passed a splendid old Roman tower, and 
came across some ancient foundations obviously 
dating back to the same period as the tower. 

We found the roads during the day's run to be 
exceedingly good, resembling in every respect the 
grand national highways in France. The well- 
maintained signposts make it practically impossi- 
ble to miss the way, and with the assistance of the 
invaluable "Guide Joanne," with its numerous 
roads map, motor travel in Tunisia is exceedingly 
agreeable. 

The town of Sousse appeared in sight about 
noon, the distance of 140 kilometers from Tunis 
having been accomplished in two hours and forty 
minutes. It is a place of 8,000 inhabitants, of 
which only 1,600 are French, at the present day. 
Its history dates back to the time of the Phoeni- 
cians, and during the days of the prosperity of 

[49 1 



TUNIS 

Carthage enjoyed considerable prominence. It 
was the center of mihtary operations during Han- 
nibal's campaigns against Caesar. It also fell into 
the hands of the Arabs, and in the ninth century 
was taken by the Normans of Sicily. In the 
twelfth century it sustained a furious attack by 
the Spaniards; and finally suffered a bombard- 
ment by the French Navy in the eighteenth cen- 
tury. It was occupied by the French in 1881, 
without resistance. 

The "Controle Civil," where the Governor 
lives, is picturesquely situated on the hill near the 
fortifications of the town. The Grand Mosque, 
which unfortunately cannot be visited by for- 
eigners, is quite attractive from the outside. 

We put up at the Grand Hotel, located on the 
harbor, and found it an exceedingly comfortable 
place, very clean and most inviting with the added 
comfort of excellent food. The hot tropical sun 
pouring in through our windows considerably en- 
hanced the pleasure of our stay. During the after- 
noon we visited the barracks, from the roof of 
which we kodaked the town with very satisfac- 
tory results. The whitewashed walls and narrow 
streets are similar to those in Tunis. The people 
also resemble the inhabitants of Tunisia, but are 
somewhat more primitive. 

[50] 




z 
o 

o 



THROUGH TUNIS AND ALGIERS 

We also took a drive in a hack to the Cata- 
combs where we explored some remarkable ruins 
discovered about fifteen years ago. The galleries 
extend underground for over four kilometers, and 
those whom curiosity leads to explore these dim 
passageways will enjoy an exceedingly interest- 
ing experience. Our interest, however, was soon 
quenched and we were glad to get back to the sur- 
face and the sunshine. The bazaars, into which 
we also looked, are more primitive and interesting 
than those of Tunis, and the prices at which rugs 
and other articles can be purchased there are 
ridiculously low. Several hours can l3e pleasantly 
spent lingering in front of the little kiosks, watch- 
ing the various craftsmen carrying on their trades. 
It is somewhat surprising to see the primitive 
methods still adopted in the making of shoes, 
clothes, and other articles which are produced at 
an unusually low cost. A franc here goes a very 
long way. 

As it had been a fine day, and we had met with 
nothing in the way of accidents, we congratulated 
ourselves heartily on our first venture on a motor 
tour in northern Africa. 

Our ultimate destination being Medenin, 550 
kilometers south of Tunis, our itinerary called for 
Sfax as our next stopping place for the next night. 

[51 1 



TUNIS 

We spent the evening quietly watching the traffic 
in the harbor, consisting of two ships loading for 
Mediterranean ports, olive oil forming the major 
part of their freight. 

At nine-thirty in the morning of Friday, Jan- 
uary 3, 1913, we were up and away, and soon the 
town was left behind. Before us spread out a fer- 
tile country, producing olive trees in great abund- 
ance. Sousse, like most of the villages in this 
part of the world, is a veritable oasis. In half an 
hour, however, we entered a semi-desert, sighting 
the ancient ruins of El Djem, 65 kilometers from 
Sousse. These ruins loom up in the midst of the 
desolation like a light-house to a tempest-tossed 
mariner, and are the only objects visible in this 
flat, deserted country where not a tree is to be 
seen anywhere. One wonders why any one should 
have erected a monument of this nature in such a 
God-forsaken spot. Immediately on arriving at 
El Djem we left the car and inspected the place. 
We found stone blocks of tremendous size piled 
one upon another, forming one of the greatest 
amphitheatres in the world, surpassing almost the 
Forum at Rome. Few tourists know of this 
monument, and fewer still have seen it. As one 
stands gazing on these massive blocks, one is struck 
with admiration and moved to speculate as to 

[52 1 



THROUGH TUNIS AND ALGIERS 

how such weighty materials were transported here. 
A glance at the guide l)ook, however, enlightens 
us, for we fnid there that the work was done by 
slaves who were employed to bring them from the 
port, 40 kilometers distant. 

In 689, this monument, now considered to be one 
of the fniest in northern Africa, successfully resisted 
the repeated attacks made on it by the Aral)s, 
but, finally, compelled by lack of food and water, 
its brave defenders decided to dig an underground 
tunnel, 12 kilometers in length (part of which is 
still to be seen) and through it they succeeded in 
making their escape. As late as 1695 considerable 
damage was done to the amphitheatre by bands 
of roving Aral^s. 

After photographing several parts of the old 
edifice, w^e reluctantly left to make our way south- 
wards to Sfax. Twelve o'clock sharp found us in 
the town, and then we sped onward towards 
Gabes. 

The country from El Djem to Sfax is practically 
similar to that lying between Sousse and El Djem, 
until within 30 kilometers of Sfax, when the 
desert is left behind. During our trip we found 
the district to be under martial law. Our morn- 
ing's run took us over a rolling countr>^ with 
easy gradients, and we had the unusual oppor- 

[53 1 



TUNIS 

tunity of seeing a number of mirages. One of 
them took the form of a big lake on our left; but 
as we rapidly approached it, and the sun shone on 
it from a different angle, it gradually disappeared 
and we saw nothing but the dry desert sands. 
We could very easily understand how travelers in 
slow-moving caravans would mistake, in this wide 
expanse of unknown country, these wonderful 
mirage pictures for the much-needed water they 
were in search of, and we could appreciate their 
disappointment when they found, on reaching 
them, nothing but dry, desert sands. We were 
in a motor, speeding along at some 45 miles an 
hour, and a mirage which could be observed in 
from ten to twenty minutes by us, would take 
three or four hours for the members of a slow- 
moving caravan to discover. 

Shortly after midday we stopped in the desert 
for lunch. Our meal, in the open, without the 
slightest shade, was necessarily hurried, and the 
sun was very glaring, filling Payne with fears of a 
sunstroke. 

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but 
a dreary waste and desolation. An unpleasant feel- 
ing began to come over us. What if the motor 
should break down, or the gasoline give out, or the 
tires explode? Where should we go, and how could 

[54] 



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•—1 



ilii 



THROUGH TUNIS AND ALGIERS 

we protect ourselves? The caravans here are few in 
number, and those we met were all heavily armed. 
We possessed nothing in the shape of a weapon, not 
even a pocket pistol. One long tangent after an- 
other stretched away l^efore our eyes into the illim- 
itable distance. We were traveling along an 
excellent road, certainly, but we began to get 
very weary, and when we reached the 333- 
kilometer stone south of Tunis, our courage for- 
sook us and we turned back, setting the radiator 
of Mercedes pointing to the north once more. 

We have since deeply regretted our decision, as 
Gabes, we learned later, is the most interesting 
oasis in the whole of Africa, and we were only but 
a few kilometers distant, less than an hour's run 
in fact. Medenin, too, some 60 kilometers farther 
south of Gabes, where the good road ceases, is 
reported to be well worth a visit, possessing a 
fairly good hotel at which the tourist may com- 
fortably refresh himself. 

The inhabitants of the neighborhood of Mede- 
nin are very wild, living practically under 
ground, a round hole in the surface of the earth 
l^eing the only means of communication with the 
village, which is out of sight. They are fierce 
in their manners, and, owing to the Tripolitan 
War and the proximity of this village to the 

[ 55 ] 



TUNIS 

frontier, some 50 kilometers off, many ferocious 
tribes, which were never here before, have come 
into this district. Foreigners, too, are not looked 
upon with kindly eyes. 

The district is well known for its mineral 
wealth. Platinum, tin, and copper are found in 
abundance in the interior, and considerable min- 
ing is carried on. A great future is in store for the 
unexplored parts of this neighborhood. 



56 




in 
O 

H 
O 



SFAX TO ENFIDAVILLE 

IN the early afternoon we drew up before the 
Hotel de France, at Sfax, and obtained, though 
the accommodation looked far from inviting, 
two vacant rooms. A wash-up refreshed us and we 
soon set out with a guide furnished by the pro- 
prietor of the hotel, to visit the Arab quarters, the 
most characteristically oriental we had as yet 
seen, and decidedly the most interesting. 

The people are very queer in appearance; the 
caravans just in from the desert bringing a horde 
difficult to describe in words. Every type is to be 
seen, and clothed in every conceivable kind of 
garb. 

On the outskirts is the camel market, which 
presents a vivid and fascinating picture. Located 
close by are the cisterns which, covering an area 
of some fifteen acres, supply all the water for the 
tow^n. The old city walls, still intact, are particu- 
larly fine, and display some remarkal^le examples 
of antique architecture. 

Among other places of interest we visited were 
a number of Bedouin tents and encampments, 

[57 1 



TUNISIA 

from which we obtained an excellent idea of the 
people's mode of living. 

A factory for the production of olive oil was 
inspected in the course of the day. This consisted 
simply of a huge stone, which was rolled round 
and round in a circle over a cement floor, the mo- 
tive power being furnished by one poor, old, 
blind-folded camel, who was doomed to walk the 
enclosed, dark room from six in the morning till 
six at night, until in the course of time he receives 
his last call and, his work ended, his tough old 
hide will be removed and hung out to dry in the 
yard outside. 

Our tour of inspection included also the harbor 
front. A picturesque scene is here presented by 
the hundreds of fishing boats gathered together, 
all busily engaged in the sponge fishery. 

In the neighborhood of the city are piled up 
salt mounds in great quantities, closely resembling 
those seen in the vicinity of Cadiz, in southern 
Spain. 

The whole place was of extraordinary interest; 
the bright and variegated coloring of the native 
dress, with the typical background of high lights 
and shades making a setting like that of a stage 
scene. 

When we got back to the hotel we were in- 
[58] 



SFAX TO ENFIDAVILLE 

formed that the hotel at Gabes called Hotel 
Colonies is fairly good, but that a better one was 
to be opened shortly. We were also told we were 
lucky not to have gone to Medenin at this time, 
as we had intended, since only a few days prior to 
our arrival, two French officers had been shot to 
death while motoring in that district. 

Our day's run of 296 kilometers occupied us 
just over four hours, along a fairly good road. 
The numerous "thank-you-ma'ams" were easily 
discernible and the approaches to them so fme 
that the shock to the car w^as practically negligible. 

Some of the laws of the country are typical of 
the locality and are rather amusing. For example, 
a man may take unto himself only four wives, 
and each marriage ceremony costs him 33 francs. 
Of course, he can always obtain a divorce, ])ut 
the cost of the proceedings is now as high as 16 
francs and 50 centimes, having been raised in re- 
cent years from the comparatively cheap cost of 6 
francs, owing to the constant abuse of this matri- 
monial luxury. The government is said to be 
much pleased with the working of the two-dollar 
raise, as divorces have now practically ceased 
owing to it. I wonder how this law would work in 
the United States, and whether the extra two 
dollars would count for much there. 

[59 1 



TUNISIA 

In Tunisia, a man wishing to marry never sees 
his wife beforehand. He simply makes a contract 
with the parents and then, in nine cases out of 
ten, draws a prize package. As one of the natives 
said to me, "You buy a nice box, open it after 
the ceremony, and take your chance on what 
jumps out. My wife," he said, "is very nice, 
and I have been married for one year. Her age is 
now thirteen." 

During the following morning we again visited 
the town, and inspected several factories where 
the large earthen jars, peculiar to this country, 
are made. 

After partaking of a poor lunch we deported 
for Sousse. At El Djem, 63 kilometers distant, 
we left the old route behind, taking highway 
No. 37, leading to the town of Mahdia, 42 kilo- 
meters distant, through which place we passed 
two hours later. We found it a dusty and unin- 
teresting place, though the country along the bit 
of road spread from El Djem to Mehdia is much 
fmer than the more inland route, and takes only 
about one hour and a quarter longer to traverse. 
The vegetation and trees, especially the old olive 
trees, are really fme. 

Monastir, the next town of importance, seemed 
a place of some interest, though we proceeded on 

[60 1 





m 



H 



SFAX TO ENFIDAVILLE 

our way without lingering. We crossed more salt 
meadows, and piles of salt are to be seen in every 
direction. 

After traveling over 174 kilometers of perfect 
road in a little over three hours, we drew up in 
front of the hotel and were warmly welcomed 
back to our old quarters. 

The next morning, Sunday, January 5, broke dull 
and cloudy. We left Sousse behind in a cloud of 
dust, bound for the holy city of Kairouan, located, 
in the middle of the desert, some 60 kilometers 
inland from the sea. 

It is necessary to retrace our steps for some ten 
or twelve kilometers over the road we had come 
the night before to M'saken, at which point a 
sharp turn to the right leads us westward for the 
remainder of the run. 

After M'saken the vegetation is left behind; 
gradually even the ubiquitous cactus disappears 
and nothing but sand is to be seen in every direc- 
tion. The road is evidently difficult to keep up, 
and many were the wash-outs we had to nego- 
tiate. When approaching Kairouan we came 
across some ten kilometers of very ])ad road, 
where rivers formed by the torrential rains had 
entirely washed away the old road bed, and the 
car had to take to the desert to make any progress. 

[61] 



TUNISIA 

The railroad line is crossed at Si-el-Haiii, and at 
10: 20 we found ourselves at the walls of the town. 
We proceeded to the Hotel de France, a modest 
but clean hostelry, where lunch was ordered for 
twelve o'clock. The distance traveled was 59 
kilometers. 

It took us some time to obtain the services of a 
courier, but this done, we set off in the car to pay 
a visit of inspection to the Mosque de Barbier, 
situated some four kilometers outside the town. 

Kairouan possesses in all eighty-five mosques, 
but only a few are open to the public. In order 
to reach the Mosque de Barbier, it was necessary 
to pass through the main street, traversing the 
center of the town. Our courier informed us that 
we could easily circumvent the town's walls, but 
Payne was for going through the old-fashioned 
street itself. We allowed him to have his wish and 
succeeded in raising no end of a commotion, had 
every kind of threat hurled against us, and were 
even physically held up by some of the Arabs 
who refused to move from the center of the road 
for us. It was an exceedingly disagreeable ex- 
perience, and one that I would not recommend to 
any motorist to undergo. Our passage through 
the town was also the cause of several fights 
among the inhabitants, some of whom were very 

[62] 






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SFAX TO ENFIDAVILLE 

desirous to see the car, while others were not. A 
fight was the immediate result of this difference, 
and chairs, tables, or anything that was handy 
went flying through the air in the course of the 
combat, and smashed to pieces on the head of any 
one within reach. Fortunately for us the street 
was not long — some six or seven New York City 
blocks only, and we eventually emerged safely on 
the other side of the town. 

The Mosque de Barbier is quite the finest of its 
kind we saw during our African tour. The mosaic 
work is in a remarkably good state of preservation ; 
the stately proportions, elegant columns, and, 
indeed, the entire effect of the handsome courts 
and passageways are exceedingly attractive, in 
every sense of the word. 

Unfortunately we were pressed for time, so we 
hastened back to Kairouan, four kilometers off, 
to view the Grand Mosque. This structure, 
although considerably larger than the mosque we 
had just left, is by no means as interesting or as 
beautiful. It consists of an immense court with 
the mosque rising at one end, the floor covered 
with matting, and the edifice itself adorned with 
many Roman columns brought from ancient Car- 
thage. It is extremely interesting to visit and 
watch the inhabitants intent on their devotions. 

[63 1 



TUNISIA 

They formed a picturesque scene as they knelt 
praying with their heads touching the ground. 
A lofty tower rising at one end of the court, gives 
an artistic finish to the sacred ])uilding. 

On our return to the hotel, we amused ourselves, 
while waiting for lunch, witnessing a demonstra- 
tion of magic art given by an itinerant snake 
charmer. The man produced from his bag several 
very large reptiles, and, to the accompaniment of 
an air played on a kind of flute, he kept the crea- 
tures wriggling about him, while a crowd of in- 
terested spectators gathered and crowded around. 
Payne and I, however, contented ourselves by 
looking on from our seats in the car. The fakir 
charmed one of the serpents to such a degree that 
it sprang at his nose and fastened its fangs through 
the flesh. Considerable trouble was experienced 
in opening the reptile's mouth, when it was found 
that four ugly wounds were left on the man's 
face. Two francs were added to the subscription 
owing to this unfortunate accident, but the snake 
charmer offered, for one franc more, to pass a 
spear through his face. The sum was forth- 
coming, and taking a spear, the man pressed it 
against one cheek and caused it to pass through 
his mouth, and out at the other cheek; quite an 
elaborate operation for twenty cents, and quite 

[64 1 



SFAX TO ENFIDAVILLE 

sufficient for Payne and myself, who, deciding 
that we had seen more than enough, retired with 
an excellent appetite for our meal. 

It was partly owing to this exhibition by the 
snake charmer that we witnessed, later in the 
day, the most extraordinary sight either Payne 
or myself had ever seen in our lives. 

The courier informed us that we could, if we so 
wished, with the permission of the governor of 
the town, be allowed to see the sacred Aisawa 
dance, but it would be necessary for us to sign 
certain papers relieving the government of all 
responsibility as to what might happen to the 
European visitors, in the event of an attack by 
the natives. These we readily signed, and the 
large sum of thirty francs, or six dollars, having 
been paid for the entertainment, we waited for 
the performance, which was to take place at two 
o'clock. 

A poor lunch was served at the hotel, but 
as our appetites were akin to those of starving 
wolves, it tasted very good to us. We filled up 
the time waiting for the opening of the dance by 
w^andering through the Souks' quarters, which we 
found exceedingly interesting. The passages are 
entirely covered over by heavy cemented arched 
roofs, provided here and there with holes for 

[65] 



TUNISIA 

ventilation. These passageways are always cool, 
even on the hottest summer days, and, as a result, 
business is never at a standstill here. 

During this visit I endeavored to obtain a 
photograph of an old Arab sitting in his house, 
which was built entirely of the sides of disused 
gasoline cans. I thought the picture would in- 
terest Mr. Rockefeller. The old gentleman, how- 
ever, seated on a small stool at the entrance of 
this remarkable chateau of his, became exceed- 
ingly angry when I pointed my kodak at him, 
falling over backwards into his kennel, which is 
the only adequate description of the hovel, and 
slammed the door after him. I heard tremendous 
oaths in picturesque Arabic coming from the in- 
side. Certainly the temperature within this tin 
castle, standing by itself in the desert in the broiling 
sun, must have been anything but agreeable. 

We arrived at the mosque somewhat in ad- 
vance of the time set, and proceeded to enter the 
Holy of Holies, where we were taken to three 
chairs set in a row. We had taken our chauffeur 
with us, thinking that he ought to witness the 
sight also. The Arabs were gathered to the num- 
ber of about thirty; several children were also 
present, varying in age from about six to twelve. 
A few men who formed a circle on the floor now 

[66 1 



SFAX TO ENFIDAVILLE 

began beating on the usual oriental instruments, 
and produced all kinds of queer noises, sounding 
just like the Midway Plaisance at exhibitions in 
the States. After about five minutes of this wild, 
weird music, accompanied by unearthly yells 
from all the Arabs present, who were at this 
time lined up against the back wall, swaying in a 
slow rhythmic movement from right to left, and 
producing at intervals of about fifteen seconds a 
series of loud grunts, the entire party gradually 
worked itself up to a state of frenzy, bringing on 
a kind of self-hypnotism. Suddenly, after about 
fifteen minutes, one of the men began to divest 
himself of his upper garments, and seizing a 
piece of steel shaped very much like a fencing foil, 
he proceeded to pass it through his cheek in ex- 
actly the same manner in which the snake charmer 
had done in the morning. He then tore up and 
down the room, with his eyes bulging out of his 
head and his hair flying behind him, giving both 
Payne and myself many a weird sensation as the 
steel whizzed by our faces not over an inch away. 
It was evident that the poor fellow was in a 
trance, and utterly unconscious of what he was 
doing. 

The music and the species of charm that ap- 
peared to be cast on all of the men taking part in 

[67 1 



TUNISIA 

the dance now seemed to produce the same effect 
on many of the others. One, seizing a hght in- 
strument, passed it through his throat, and then 
went flying through the room yeUing at the top of 
his voice. Another man took hold of six spears 
and placing the points against his stomach al- 
lowed a second man to hammer them into his body 
until they had penetrated his skin three or four 
inches. Both Payne and I began to feel some- 
what ill, our digestive organs had almost stopped 
working entirely, and we were in a bath of 
perspiration. We concluded we had had enough of 
this weird religious dance. We were on the point 
of leaving when the courier said to us, "Don't go, 
they have only just started. Many more extraor- 
dinary things are to come." We therefore kept 
our seats. 

One man now took a cavalry sword and ap- 
proaching to within a few feet of me calmly 
commenced slashing his leg, making six large 
gashes on the calf. Another suddenly popped 
up from somewhere or other, and before I 
realized what he was doing, had slashed his 
stomach with two or three terrific cuts. One 
fellow nonchalantly rammed a sword down his 
throat into his stomach. This, I ])elieve, is a com- 
paratively easy feat when you know how it is done. 

[68] 





W. K. v., JR., ON A CAMEL AT SFAX 



SFAX TO ENFIDAVILLE 

By this time every one present seemed to have 
gotten into a raving trance. Swords, bayonets 
and every kind of pointed instrument flew past 
us, while these delirious creatures were perform- 
ing their ghastly dance. Fearing the danger and 
consequences of staying longer, we decided it 
would be wiser to leave, no matter what our 
courier said. 

Just as we were about to go, one of the men 
seized a little girl, at about ten years of age, and 
tearing off her garments he stuck one of the swords 
through her face. That was enough for us. We 
made a hurried exit, heartily glad to find our- 
selves in the outer court. 

The Mohammedans did not even notice our 
departure. The entertainment, in fact, had only 
just begun, and, once outside, we were able to 
look back over the heads of those clamoring for 
entrance in the doorway, and hear the frightful 
sounds that emanated from inside. 

Red hot irons were now being taken in for the 
entire multitude to walk upon. Broken glass was 
to be eaten in quantities. Cactus leaves, which it 
would have been impossible for Payne or myself 
to touch, owing to their sharp prongs, were de- 
voured as though they were pieces of bread. 

One man was to have three swords stuck right 
[69 1 



TUNISIA 

through him, the pomts coming out on the other 
side of him. Another was to undergo the ordeal 
of having a large nail hammered into the top of 
his head. 

As I left the room I noticed an old man seated 
in one corner, who, I learned, was the Father of 
the Ceremonies. After each performer had done 
his penance by committing some frightful act 
upon himself, he would kneel in front of this man, 
who would whisper in his ear and thus bring him 
back to his senses. 

A remarkable fact w^as the absence of bloodshed. 
It was explained to me that a thick grease was 
spread over the blades which caused the wounds 
to cauterize and so prevented hemorrhages. 

The proceeds of the entertainment do not go 
to the actors, but to the Society of Bien Fesance; 
though what good they do by countenancing such 
barbarity is more than I can make out. Every 
country, however, has its peculiarities, and all 
that these poor fellows receive is one cent each for 
the act they perform, except, of course, they take 
the express train to Heaven when they die. 

Upon talking later with our courier, he told me 
that his brother was one of those who had three 
swords passed through him. He had been taught 
how to do this, in his youth, by his father, who 

[70] 




MR. PAYNE OX A CAMEL AT SFAX 



SFAX TO ENFIDAVILLE 

had also been a performer in this dance ever 
since childhood and who, as he grew older, found 
that he could perform even bolder experiments. 
In fact, the courier said, his brother was not at 
all hurt by having swords passed through his 
body, losing no ])lood and suffering no pain. 
When he came out of his trance he went home and 
enjoyed a good dinner as though nothing unusual 
had taken place. Two or three times a week he 
would perform this operation, puncturing his 
stomach, intestines, and other organs of the 
body. 

Doctors from all parts of the world have wit- 
nessed these acts being performed, but as yet they 
have been unable to give any explanation, though 
all are agreed that the deeds are actually done 
and that no deception is practised upon the 
audience. 

Two kinds of religious dances are performed by 
the Arabs in northern Africa, the "Aisawa," the 
one we had just witnessed, and the "Hamadsha." 
Both can be seen throughout the interior of 
Tunisia, and in some parts of Algeria and Morocco. 
It is very dangerous for Europeans to be present 
on occasions of this kind, and it is fully known to 
the government that the aim of the people per- 
forming these dances is to luring al^out a Holy 

[71 1 



TUNISIA 

War, and to drive Christians from the shores of 
northern Africa. 

Mr. George E. Holt, the American Vice-Consul 
at Tangiers, writing on this subject says: "In 
the center of a crowd of thousands of Mohamme- 
dans, dancing wildly without cessation; when he 
hears the interminable beat of the low-voiced 
drums and the never-ceasing monotony of the 
shrill pipes; when he sees the banners of the 
Prophet, malignant green and red and gold, then 
this Christian foreigner feels that here is something 
which he cannot understand; that here are people 
voicing the ideals of the Mohammedan world, 
which somehow seems to become suddenly larger, 
and that he himself has had a mistaken con- 
ception of what Mohammedanism means. And 
when his eyes behold the rise and fall of glittering 
axes upon shaven heads of man and boy, and he 
hears the peculiar rattle of contact between head 
and weapon, and sees the beginning of the red 
flood, which gradually spreads down over face 
and neck and garments, witnesses the ecstasies of 
pain in the name of Allah, then somehow the sun 
seems to become unbearably hot, the air stifling, 
the shriek of the pipes and the beat of the drums 
simply infernal, and with it all comes just a faint 
impression of what fear might be, and the desire 

[72 1 





GRAND MOSQUE AT KAIROUAN 



SFAX TO ENFIDAVILLE 

to get away from it all to the realities of life, for 
certainly this mob of dancing, singing demons is 
not real!" 

We climbed into our car, which we were glad 
to find where we had left it outside the mosque 
door, and as we rolled off kilometer after kilo- 
meter in a northerly direction towards Tunis, I 
must confess I began to feel much more comfort- 
able, even though the wild desert spread itself 
out in every direction around us. For one solid 
hour we kept on through the dreary waste, until 
we arrived at Enfidaville, after a run of 60 
kilometers. 



73] 



ENFIDAVILLE TO LA CALLE 

DURING our journey across this plain we met 
numerous bands of Bedouins and several 
large caravans. One of these bands ap- 
peared to be somewhat of a ferocious character, its 
men members being laden with guns and pistols of 
the old match-lock type. Some of the men assumed 
threatening attitudes towards us, one fellow even 
pointing his pistol at us as we drove by. It was 
consoling to think that had the old thing gone off 
it would probably have killed its owner rather 
than us, although for the moment we were de- 
cidedly uncomfortable. 

An amusing incident occurred on passing one 
of these caravans. A camel, on which was seated 
a majestic looking Arab, took fright at the car 
and began performing a waltz, spinning around at 
a tremendous pace three times. The rider stuck 
gamely to his seat, but in a few seconds the in- 
evitable happened, and he was flung ignominiously 
from his lofty saddle. His flowing robes, acting 
like a parachute, were raised picturesquely above 
his head as he shot through the air, and he dropped 

[74 1 




a 

O 



ENFIDAVILLE TO LA CALLE 

on his feet before us in a condition of Arcadian 
simplicity which would undoubtedly have caused 
his instant arrest had the incident happened on 
Broadway. It was the smartest disrobing act I 
had ever witnessed. We waited to see that he 
was not hurt and then passed on without answer- 
ing the flow of offended gibberish with which he 
favored us in his picturesque Arabic. 

Soon after leaving Enfidaville it began to rain, 
and very hard, too, so that it was necessary to 
put up the top, and for the remainder of the run 
to Tunis we consoled ourselves as best we could, 
sitting inside. It was a sad sight to see numbers 
of poor Arabs tramping along the highway with 
their voluminous garments drenched through and 
through, looking far more like drowned rats than 
human beings. 

At 4: 30 P.M. we were at Tunis once more, and 
the first part of our African trip was completed. 
The 156 kilometers from Kairouan had been ac- 
complished in three hours, and the total day's run 
of 215 kilometers had been traversed in four hours 
and ten minutes. During the afternoon the road 
was good the entire way, and we obtained a 
capital view of Lake Sedkra Kelbia. Indeed, the 
road for some kilometers actually runs alongside 
that picturesque expanse of water. The road on 

[75] 



TUNISIA 

which we had iDeen traveUng, No. 38, joins the 
National Highway No. 1, at Enfidaville, which 
was the road we had traversed on our run to the 
south. 

Altogether we had covered 825 kilometers in 
fourteen hours and twenty minutes, and we did 
this without a mishap, not even killing a chicken. 
One poor little bird, however, which flew across 
our path was struck by the radiator and killed; 
but this was the only unfortunate to succumb to 
our first visit to this part of the world. On sum- 
ming up our four days' trip we decided that 
it had been, on the whole, exceedingly interest- 
ing, and certainly we had enjoyed every minute 
of it. 

From hurried observations on our trip through 
the Protectorate of Tunisia, we came to the con- 
clusion that the interior offers unusual opportuni- 
ties for development, especially in respect to the 
mineral resources. The section of the country 
known as Gafsa, near the Tripolitan frontier, 
about 200 kilometers inland, is very rich in various 
minerals. Phosphate also is found here in great 
quantities. Had we had the time for a railroad 
journey into the interior I think it would have 
repaid us the trouble. I do not, however, advise 
any one to attempt it at the present time by 

[76 1 




y. 



w 



ENFIDAVILLE TO LA CALLE 

motor, because the roads are not yet macada- 
mized, and are quite unfit for automobile traffic. 

In the central part of Tunisia, iron ore, zinc, and 
lead are found. Many mines of these minerals 
already located are not yet in working order; 
the northern section of the country also possesses 
large numbers of iron mines, most of which, how- 
ever, are still undeveloped. Tin and lead are also 
found here. 

The northern part of the country, through which 
we journeyed next, is a mountainous nature and 
exceedingly fertile. These mountain ranges, as one 
travels south, become gradually barren, and the 
stretch of flat land which adjoins the sea takes on 
the appearance of an absolute desert, with the ex- 
ception of a few towns located in oases. 

The day following our return to Tunis was de- 
lightfully fine and we passed it resting from our 
last excursion, and gave the mechanic his oppor- 
tunity to overhaul the car. During the day we 
paid a visit to the divorce court and watched the 
proceedings with considerable interest. We found 
it was quite well worth giving an hour or two to 
its inspection. And here it may not be amiss to 
give some description of the picturesque cos- 
tumes worn by the different classes of people in 
Tunis. 



TUNISIA 

The Arab women wear a white garment known as 
Haiks, which covers them from head to foot, and 
a thick black veil entirely conceals the features, 
with the exception of their eyes. Their faces are 
never seen. The Jewish women only leave their 
faces exposed. They also wear the Haiks, and a 
high-pointed, cornucopia-like cap, over the top of 
which the end of the Haiks is pulled. 

The Bedouin women appear to pay rather less 
attention to their actual garments, being dressed 
usually in rags with a bright-colored bandana 
handkerchief as head-gear. Bracelets, rings, ear- 
rings and necklaces are, however, worn in great 
quantities, as if to make up for the poverty of the 
rest of the costume. Their fmger nails and toes 
are stained black with henna, and their faces are 
tattooed and marked with innumerable blue 
lines, one large dash under the lower lip being 
particularly noticeable. 

The men of the country resemble somewhat, in 
their mode of living, their confreres of central Italy, 
that is to say, they play the part of the "Boss," 
and have a constitutional aversion for work of 
any kind. One constantly passes small parties 
of them along the road, the men riding bare- 
back on the smallest imaginable donkeys, sit- 
ting poised on the animals' hindquarters, which 

\78] 




A LADY OUT FOK A MORNIXCl RIDE; ONE 

EYE IS SUFP^ICIENT TO TAKE IX 

THE SKiHTS 



ENFIDAVILLE TO LA CALLE 

gives the little creature so small an appearance to 
the eyes of a European that he is always wonder- 
ing how they keep from falling over backwards. 
The gentleman of the party having passed ])y, 
his sundry wives may then be seen bringing up 
the rear on foot, and carrying all their worldly 
possessions with them either on their arms or on 
their heads. 

During the afternoon of our stay in Tunis we 
again visited the Souks and remarked that cer- 
tain streets appeared to be given up to the sale of 
special kinds of wares. For instance, one long 
street was devoted entirely to the making of 
shoes, in another hats alone were to l^e JDOught; 
another offered garments, and so on. 

In our wanderings through these interesting 
quarters of Tunis, as well as of other towns we 
visited in Tunisia, we were constantly coming 
across Marabout graves. These are not graves in 
the true meaning of the word, that is to say, they 
contain no bodies, but are mounds raised in re- 
membrance of some hermit, saint or fanatic, 
usually the latter, and are erected to his everlast- 
ing memory at those places where, during his 
lifetime, he was most often to be seen. I have 
sometimes seen these graves, shaped like a coffin, 
situated in the middle of a street, or even in coffee 

[79 1 



TUNISIA 

rooms, where coffee was actually being served off 
the tops of them. 

We had planned to leave Tunis early in the 
morning, intending to stop at Beja for lunch, and 
to reach La Calle, a small seaport on the Mediter- 
ranean, for the night. Accordingly we started 
out soon after nine accompanied by a most un- 
pleasant drizzling rain, which continued prac- 
tically all the day. After leaving the outskirts of 
Tunis the road passes through a fairly fertile 
grazing country to Medjez-el-Bab, over National 
Highway No. 5, which is left some ten kilo- 
meters ])efore reaching that town to turn off along 
National Road No. 23, which is followed right 
through to Beja. 

The town of Medjez-el-Bab is a very uninter- 
esting place, located on the Medjeida River, which 
is crossed by a bridge, en route to Beja, 413^ 
kilometers distant. The rolling pastoral country 
was now rapidly left behind, and as we advanced 
into the mountains the scenery became exceed- 
ingly fme. The farmsteads we saw were all fertile 
and prosperous looking, and we noticed many 
pretty ranches with numerous herds of cattle. 
This was a remarkable change from the country 
we had recently explored to the south of Tunis. 
Camels are replaced here by horses and mules, 

[80] 



ENFIDAVILLE TO LA CALLE 

almost entirely, and during our day's run we en- 
countered but one of the "Ships of the Desert." 

Beja was reached just before midday and, 
bumping over the railroad tracks, we climbed up 
rather a steep hill along a broad street and on the 
right-hand side found the Hotel de France, our 
proposed lunching place. Unfortunately, we had 
counted our chickens before they w^ere hatched; 
in other words, we had expected to fmd decent 
food here, but were sadly disappointed. Our 
luncheon basket not being provisioned, we had to 
content ourselves with eating what we could get, 
which was, indeed, anything but appetizing. The 
hotel is not to be recommended. 

The town itself boasts of possessing 10,000 in- 
habitants, and although it was an important com- 
mercial center prior to its occupation by the 
Romans, it has, to-day, nothing of interest to 
recommend it, though it is still the agricultural 
center for this part of the world. 

We had made the best of a bad lunch, and the 
downfall of rain increasing to torrential force, we 
decided to get under way once more, preferring to 
rely on the comforts the automobile afforded 
rather than on those the old hostelry could offer 
us. Our course was now practically due north 
through the mountains, passing some of the iron 

[81] 



TUNISIA 

mines which are located here, and the workings 
of which were plainly visible from the highway. 
The country is attractive, and well timbered, the 
road well kept, and the whole run through to 
Tabarca is a most interesting one. 

All went well until we punctured a rear tire, 44 
kilometers from Beja, and as the sun had made 
his welcome reappearance from behind the rain 
clouds, we lowered the top while the necessary 
repairs were being made. The involuntary, though 
not unwelcome stop, enabled us to take note of the 
country people passing with their wagons along 
the road. These wagons are drawn by spans of 
from eight to ten mules. The people appear to be 
well-to-do and prosperous, and the houses seen 
along the route are clean and modern, though 
nothing in the nature of a village was seen along 
the whole route. 

Repairs having been completed, we were soon 
under way again. Tabarca was reached, the first 
village since leaving Beja. \Ye found it a quaint 
little town, clean and typically French. As we 
passed through we noticed the small Hotel de 
France, and remarked its charmingly clean ap- 
pearance as we dashed l^y. Little did we realize 
it would be our fate to be its guests before another 
hour had gone by. 

[82 1 




CC 
U 

Q 

H 

O 

a 
g 

S 

H 



ENFIDAVILLE TO LA CALLE 

On we went along Highway No. 26, achieving a 
climb of over 1,500 feet; when we suddenly saw 
stretching before us an exceedingly narrow road 
without any retaining walls. On our right were 
yawning precipices, and far below us a magnifi- 
cent view of the sea with the little island of 
Tabarca nestling in the still waters just a few 
miles off the town of the same name. 

Ten kilometers after beginning the climb the 
macadam surface was left behind, and almost im- 
passable roads, full of holes, ruts and sandy 
stretches, were before us, and culminating in an 
apology for a road many inches deep in mud. 
After floundering along for some five kilometers 
further, we began to fear we might be stuck in 
this outlandish locality where neither human 
habitation nor living creature was to be seen, and 
nothing but forests surrounding us. We decided 
that discretion was the better part of valor and 
turned back intending to remain at Tabarca for 
the night. Just an hour after passing through 
Tabarca we were back again in the little place and 
pulled up in front of the Hotel de France. The 
inside of the hostelry was as clean as the outside, 
and in every way inviting. The innkeeper and 
his wife were obliging to a degree, and, contrary 
to what might have been expected in a place of 

[83] 



TUNISIA 

such unimportance, we spent an exceedingly com- 
fortable night and enjoyed a very good dinner. 

The distance actually covered during the day 
amounted to 200 kilometers, including the run to 
the top of the mountain and back after passing 
Tabarca. 

Tabarca does quite an important trade in ex- 
porting cork. On exploring the little village we 
located huge stacks of cork piled up on the beach, 
all ready for shipment. We also gleaned the in- 
formation that the inhabitants who saw us speed- 
ing along Road No. 26 thought we were absolutely 
crazy to take the route, since no automobile had 
ever attempted to travel that way. We learned, 
however, that we had actually crossed and re- 
crossed the worst part of it, and that had we kept 
on for another five kilometers we should have 
emerged on to the National Road No. 25, which 
would have taken us right down into La Calle, 
along a magnificent surface. 

In order to circumvent this mountain, it is nec- 
essary to travel on Road No. 24, joining No. 25 at 
Babouch, where is also located the Tunisian Cus- 
tom House, that of Algeria being at La Calle. 

The next morning, Wednesday, January 8, 
soon after breakfast, we were under way again 
running due south over the excellent surface of 

[84] 




^ ^. 



8 






1-^ 


C 


,^ 


h 


-5 


Q 




K 


a 




z 








Uj 


< 


yi 


Z 


r 1 



ENFIDAVILLE TO LA CALLE 

Highway No. 24, to Babouch. We were con- 
stantly climbing and came upon some magnifi- 
cent scenery with delightful views spread out 
before us in all directions, and superb forests of 
virgin timber and immense numbers of cork trees. 
Shortly after starting, some young boy, most 
probably a shepherd, threw a rock at us from 
one of the overhanging precipices, which landed 
plumb into the mechanic's lap. Fortunately, no 
harm was done and we did not stop to investigate. 
In thirty-five minutes we were at Babouch, at 
an altitude of 1,500 feet, and attained the summit 
of the pass. Another run along the highlands for 
32 kilometers brought us to La Calle, where our 
customs papers were duly examined by the offi- 
cials at the Douane. Immediately afterwards we 
were dropping rapidly down along the good road 
on the western side of the mountain. For the 
15 kilometers before La Calle the road runs 
through a perfectly level country at the top of 
the plateau, which seemed to us to be of unusual 
fertility. 



85 



LA GALLE TO CONSTANTINE 

WE left La Calle and after proceeding for 
about 15 kilometers, we again struck Road 
No. 26, which we had mistaken the previ- 
ous evening at Tabarca. Its condition was quite 
as bad at this end as we had found it the night 
before. One cause for its wretched state is, I be- 
lieve, due to the working of a mine in the neigh- 
borhood, the heavy and constant traffic from 
which tears up the surface. 

La Calle is rather an attractive looking little 
seaport of 2,800 inhabitants, of whom 2,400 are 
Europeans. Its history, like that of most places 
on this coast, dates back to the time of the Roman 
occupation. It is now an old seaport seldom 
touched at by steamers; its inhabitants live 
chiefly from the catch of fish from the sea. The 
place boasts of an old hotel, called Hotel Bar- 
nier, which did not look particularly inviting, 
and I would advise motorists to continue their 
journey to Bone, rather than stop at La Calle for 
the night. 
As we were unable to find the Algerian Douane 
[86] 



LA CALLE TO CONSTANTINE 

at La Calle, we pushed on to Bone, 88 kilometers 
farther on. We passed through a flat and not 
very interesting country devoted principally to 
grazing and pastoral pursuits. The fields and 
grassy swamps were full of herds of cattle. The 
road itself is good but uninteresting, and is 
traversed on long tangents. The villages are few 
in number, small in size, and very dirty. In two 
of them the inevitable market day was in progress, 
the affair taking place in a penned-up square 
outside the village limits. It was interesting to 
look at, but very European. In fact, since we 
had left Tabarca, we might easily have imagined 
ourselves to be traveling through France. The 
Arab was hardly seen, European laborers tilled 
the fields, and tram-cars took the place of the 
camel. 

At midday we reached Bone and stopped at 
the Hotel d'Orient, which proved sufficiently 
good to make us decide to stop here for the re- 
mainder of the day and take the opportunity to 
see the sights and obtain a rest. This thriving 
little place was laid out by French engineers and 
possesses large, fine boulevards, handsome build- 
ings, a good harbor front, and a railroad terminal. 
Its population is 36,000, of which 20,000 are 
French, and 8,000 Arabs, the remainder being 

[87] 



ALGERIA 

Jews and foreigners. Its history, like that of the 
other places in this district, is ancient. At one 
time it was occupied by Spanish troops. It is 
most picturesquely situated, and its handsome 
harbor, of which I have already spoken, adds 
materially to the appearance of the town. The 
seven millions of francs spent on it was evidently 
laid out to advantage. The chief staples of export 
are phosphates and iron ore. The people of this 
fertile and attractive country appear to be pros- 
perous and healthy, and the climate is salubrious. 
The total day's run amounted to 140 kilometers, 
which were covered comfortably in three hours and 
five minutes. 

The next morning we woke to find an unpleas- 
ant, rainy day, but, as we were in no fear of the 
elements, we sallied forth immediately after 
breakfast and started on our journey with the 
top up. 

Phillippeville, 118 kilometers distant, was our 
destination, and there we hoped to have lunch. 
We found a splendid road, and the first 80 kilo- 
meters, being quite flat, were covered in exactly 
eighty minutes. The country, through which we 
passed during this rapid dash, is picturesque, 
high hills being seen at a distance. These hills 
are eventually reached at St. Charles; the re- 

[88] 




a 



LA CALLE TO CONSTANTINE 

mainder of the run to Philippeville being through 
and over these highlands. 

At Phillippeville, we stopped at the Credit 
Lyonnais to get some cash. I needed four thou- 
sand francs and experienced great difficulty in 
procuring it. I was informed that if I would re- 
turn after luncheon, the cashier would by that 
time have communicated with Constantine, and 
would then tell me whether or not he was in a 
position to pay me the desired amount. My en- 
tertainment at the bank having ended and my 
not unreasonable request having taken over an 
hour to fulfill, we proceeded to the Grand Hotel, 
located on the harbor front, and enjoyed a fine 
view of the Mediterranean. We found the place 
clean, and enjoyed a fairly good meal. 

The town is an interesting place, with its old 
streets laid out over high hills, big arcades, and 
several handsome buildings, the views of all of 
which we obtained while snugly sheltering under 
the hood, for it was, to put it mildly, raining "cats 
and dogs." 

Both Payne and myself felt rather blue ; but I am 
told that the barometer falls very low in this part 
of the world, and that atmospheric conditions 
have an unusually depressing influence on visitors. 

After lunch we were off on our way to Constan- 
[89] 



ALGERIA 

tine, stopping at the bank and ol)taining my 
money, we began by retracing our steps as far as 
St. Charles, which we made within the half hour, 
and then set off for our afternoon's run of 83 
kilometers. It was still raining hard, but we 
splashed on undaunted through the mud, enjoy- 
ing thoroughly the magnificent scenery spread 
out before us. The surface of the road is excel- 
lent the entire way, and the mountainous aspect 
of the country grand. The Col des Oliviers, the 
summit of which is about 38 kilometers from 
Constantine, attaining an elevation of 2,000 feet, 
was reached without mishap, and we obtained 
some splendid views from the top. 

Olive, cork, and eucalyptus trees line the route 
for the first 40 kilometers from Phillippeville, but 
from there on until Constantine is reached, the 
country is barren. Its general appearance has a 
certain similarity to that of the country in the 
neighborhood of the Grand Canyon of the Colo- 
rado. No trees are to be seen and traces of vege- 
tation are very slight, nevertheless the constant 
variation in the formation of the rocky strata 
offers the traveler a pleasing element of specu- 
lation as to what he may find round the next 
corner. 

We entered the gates of Constantine at four in 
[90 1 



LA CALLE TO CONSTANTINE 

the afternoon, up a road cut in the side of a cUff. 
Our first business was to inquire at the post office 
for our mail. There we learned that the mail 
steamer which was to have brought it across the 
Mediterranean, had sunk to the bottom of the 
sea carrying with it everything on board except 
the passengers. As we were afraid of losing our 
way in the city, we engaged a boy for a franc to 
guide us to the Hotel de Paris. This was the one 
occasion we sought such service since leaving 
Paris. The boy took the coin, and strolling negli- 
gently across the street, politely pointed out our 
hotel, which was directly opposite to where we 
were standing. The place proved fairly good; its 
cuisine,^ for this part of the world, was excellent. 

Our drive of 201 kilometers in the pouring rain 
over the mountains had taken us four hours and 
five minutes to accomplish. As on the previous 
day, our route lay through a country resembling 
certain parts of southern Europe far more closely 
than it did northern Africa. The picturesque 
Arab has here discarded his flowing robes for 
European wearing apparel, the turban alone 
being retained to indicate his nationality. The 
villages hereabout are identical in appearance to 
those met with in southern France, and the roads 
are built on exactly the same principle, and are, 

[91] 



ALGERIA 

if anything, finer. The camel is no longer em- 
ployed as the beast of burden ; indeed, for the last 
few days we had not set eyes on one of these in- 
dispensable animals. Modern shops also take the 
place of the little squatty, square holes cut in the 
wall, in which Arabs carried on their business in 
the past, and which, though not so suitable as 
modern buildings for the purpose, are far more 
attractive to the eye. 

We decided to spend the day in this interesting 
old town, visiting the various places and objects 
of interest. 

The city of Constantine is in reality an old 
citadel perched on top of a rock, the west side of 
which falls abruptly away for several hundred 
feet, while on the other side the Rummel River 
rushes through a deep canyon, cutting off the ap- 
proach of any possible enemy from the north, 
south and east. 

Several fine bridges span this canyon, and it is 
possible, on payment of a small sum, to walk 
along close to the river bed at the bottom of the 
narrow abyss, from where, looking upward one 
can see the fortifications and old houses overhang- 
ing the deep precipices. The whole place bears 
an aspect confirming the truth of the many stories 
related of murders, suicides, and other gruesome 

[92] 




THE GORGE AT CONSTANTINE 



LA CALLE TO CONSTANTINE 

happenings which are said to have taken place in 
this gorge. 

The town itself has a population of 48,000, 
15,000 of whom are French, 9,000 Jews and 
22,000 natives. Constantine dates back to the 
time of the Phoenicians, and during the period of 
the Roman occupation it was one of the wealthiest 
cities in Africa. In the fourteenth century it was 
almost destroyed, l3ut was rebuilt by the Em- 
peror Constantine from whom it took its name. 
Prior to that time it was called "Citra." It is a 
city of considerable consequence even at this day, 
a large military post being maintained there. In- 
deed, throughout its history the place has been 
closely associated with important military events. 

It was taken by the Arabs soon after the Ro- 
mans lost their footing in northern Africa. In 
1830 it withstood an attack by the French, when 
it was most ably defended by the last of the Beys, 
Ahmed, who was in command of Constantine at 
the time. Six years later the Arabs inflicted an 
overwhelming defeat upon the French. In 1837 
an army of 10,000 French troops again attacked 
the stronghold, successfully this time, but at a 
heavy loss in lives. Since that time, the city has 
been in the hands of the French; but the courageous 
Bey maintained a guerilla warfare in the wilder 

[93 1 



ALGERIA 

parts of the country, making a more or less suc- 
cessful resistance for another eleven years, when, in 
1848, he was finally compelled to surrender to 
overwhelming forces. 

Most of the town still preserves its ancient ap- 
pearance, but that part of it where the hotels are 
located is quite modern; the post and telegraph 
offices, the theatre and museum all being close at 
hand. The railroad station, however, is some dis- 
tance off, on the eastern side of the chasm. 

We paid a visit to the mosque, where we were 
much interested in witnessing a service of prayer 
that was in progress. Friday is the Arab's Sun- 
day, and we were fortunate to be here on this day, 
when the mosque was crowded with devout wor- 
shipers. The inner court of the building is a 
beautiful sight with its cool-looking tiny foun- 
tains playing. Dispensing with our shoes, we 
went up a flight of marble steps to a large and airy 
room above the level of the ground, supported 
by numerous fine alabaster columns, and its floor 
covered with handsome old carpets. The reverent 
quiet of the place was delightfully soothing to the 
senses. 

On the northern extremity of the town is a 
large block of barracks, quite imposing in ap- 
pearance, where the garrison is housed. 

[94 1 



LA CALLE TO CONSTANTINE 

Our guide, a nice, quiet Arab, whose services 
we had engaged at the hotel, volunteered to show 
us his home. He was a Jew, and as all Jews' 
houses in this part of the world are painted blue 
on the outside, we found his house no exception to 
the rule. On entering it we found a clean little 
courtyard in which were two women, the guide's 
wife and his mother busily engaged in cooking 
something in a corner. The wife was only a child 
of thirteen, who had been purchased by him for 
1,600 francs, Payne and I agreed that he had paid 
far too much; everyone has his own views on 
matters of this kind. The sleeping apartments 
on the upper floor were very clean and airy, and 
both Payne and I were not a little surprised at 
the general atmosphere of comfort and well- 
being. 

During the afternoon we witnessed from the 
steps of the hotel, the passing of an Arab funeral 
across the square. It was a very sad and impres- 
sive sight. Some Arabs, chanting a solemn dirge, 
led the procession and were followed by the pall- 
bearers, who carried on their shoulders the body, 
which was covered only by a light robe, so that 
all its outlines were plainly visible. 

In the evening we took in a dance which was 
arranged for by our guide, and which proved 

[95] 



ALGERIA 

more or less of a fake. We experienced some 
sensations of fear as we went down through the 
Arab quarter at night, especially when we were 
locked up in the house of the entertainment 
with a band of music and the ladies who were 
to perform the dance customary throughout the 
country. 

During the evening one of the Aisawa Dervish 
dances was being performed in another part of 
the town; this was the dance we had witnessed at 
Kairouan; but after our experiences in the sacred 
city, we had not the courage to face another ex- 
hibition of the kind and preferred to attend the 
more ordinary affair, which, as I have said, was a 
dismal failure. 

Our guide felt distinctly hurt at our refusing to 
witness the Aisawa, and regarded it as a want of 
taste on our part. He let us know that at least a 
hundred performers took part in the entertain- 
ment and wonderful feats were performed, 
quite a number removing an eye from their 
heads, eating nails (those large spikes such as are 
used on a railroad), and also devouring snakes and 
scorpions, finishing up with broken glass for 
dessert. We should not have believed him had we 
not witnessed most of these things with our own 
eyes at Kairouan. Payne and I came to the con- 

[ 96 ] 



LA CALLE TO CONSTANTINE 

elusion that evening that we could congratulate 
ourselves on being believers in a religion which 
permitted us to lead a much simpler life, and 
allowed us to exist without the necessity of sacri- 
ficing ourselves and mutilating our bodies to the 
extent that these poor wretches did. 

The street scenes throughout Constantine, and 
especially in the part of the city where we were 
that night, are of the greatest interest. A strong 
guard is on watch during the night to keep order. 
This is a wise precaution, as the thoroughfare 
through which we passed consisted chiefly of cafes 
and gambling dens. 

The hotel in which we were staying is built 
directly over a very fine cavern, which is one of 
the sights of Constantine. It is reached by means 
of the hotel elevator, which descends through the 
floor of the hotel down into the cavern beneath. 



97 



CONSTANTINE TO EL KANTARA 

ALL that night in Constantine it rained in 
torrents, but early the next morning, as we 
started on our road to Batna, the clouds 
broke and brilliant sunshine poured down upon us. 
Batna, which we intended to reach by luncheon 
time, lies 120 kilometers due south of Constantine. 
During the first part of our journey the road was 
rather winding, lying due north, and running 
through the very barest kind of country, and assum- 
ing, as we advanced southwards, more and more a 
desert-like appearance. The road we followed con- 
stantly rose in altitude until at Batna, where the 
cold was exceedingly unpleasant, we reached an 
elevation of 3,000 feet. We saw nothing of special 
interest during our run, nor is the scenery re- 
markable. The surface of the road is good the 
entire way, with the exception of occasional short 
stretches. Perhaps the one feature worthy of 
notice is a large lake, called Sebkha ex Zemoul, 
which we passed 60 kilometers from Constantine. 
The lofty mountain ranges on both sides of the 
road, with their summits covered with snow, 

[98] 



GONSTANTINE TO EL KANTARA 

cause the wind that blows down from them to be 
very cold. 

For the first 30 kilometers of the run out of 
Constantine the country is fairly fertile, although 
about halfway along this road we ran into a 
desert and proceeded along a gently winding road 
for some 50 kilometers. For the last 20 kilometers, 
the valley narrows down considerably and the 
soil again becomes more fertile looking. Here we 
renewed our acquaintance with the camel, which 
we had not seen since we were at Beja. It was a 
welcome meeting, and gave us again the sensa- 
tion of being actually in the far East. 

Just before midday we arrived at the Hotel 
d' Orient, after a two hours and ten minutes' run. 
We found the hotel to be fairly good, and were 
both surprised and favorably impressed by its 
cleanly appearance. Indeed, for such an outland- 
ish location, it is very good. 

We engaged rooms, and, after transferring our 
heavy luggage to relieve the car, we partook of a 
good lunch. We then set out on a side trip to the 
old Roman ruins at Timgad, and were soon spin- 
ning along a wet road, the surface of which was 
partly covered with snow. It may sound absurd 
to speak of snow in Africa, but the temperature in 
this part of the world is very erratic. At one hour 

[99] 



ALGERIA 

the thermometer will register a])out zero in the 
mountains, and the next, down in the desert, we 
will be in the midst of green palm trees and cacti. 
The road from Batna to Timgad, some 38 kilo- 
meters in length, rises to an altitude of 3,800 feet; 
it is barren and uninteresting. At Lambese, 11 
kilometers from Batna, we passed some fine old 
Roman ruins, which are plainly visible from the 
car; but as we were pressed for time, we did not 
descend to inspect them. Some remarkable work 
in excavating is being done here by French con- 
victs, who are lodged in a prison close to the road. 
Our route hitherto had been fairly straight, but 
we now encountered a series of curves, and some 
fine views are obtained as the car swings round the 
bends of the road. At the same time one is con- 
stantly being impressed by the universal dreari- 
ness of the surroundings. Why the Romans 
should ever have chosen this outlandish place in 
which to build a town is a mystery to me. There 
is not a tree in sight, the soil is not fit to till, there 
is no water, and the town lying some 200 kilo- 
meters inland from the sea the place must have 
been very difficult of access. Nevertheless, the 
old town, which, in Roman days was powerfully 
garrisoned, contained a number of magnificent 
buildings, and the ruins which remain to this 

[100] 



1 V 



11 






% 



m 





CONSTANTINE TO EL KANTARA 

day are some of the finest in the world, those of 
famed Pompeii, in my opinion, fading into insig- 
nificance by comparison. 

We reached Timgad about three in the after- 
noon and drew up before the Hotel de Timgad, 
which is owned by the proprietor of the Hotel 
des Etrangers, at Batna. Between these two 
hotels a motor omnibus service is maintained, 
which affords the tourist a capital opportunity to 
visit the ruins. The run is accomplished by this 
car in an hour, and judging from the size of the 
machine and the road on which it runs, I should 
simply hate to be one of the occupants while its 
mechanic is pushing it through on schedule time. 

Timgad, as Lambese, is being excavated by 
convicts. I was fortunate in procuring some good 
pictures of the vicinity, notwithstanding the fact 
that a drizzling rain was falling at the time. The 
weather necessitated an exceptionally long ex- 
posure of the films. 

The town of Timgad is of great interest. It 
was founded by Trajan, about 100 a. d., and 
was built by the Roman soldiers. It is rarely 
mentioned in history because of its distance from 
civilization and because it was surrounded by 
fierce tril^es who made communication difficult. 
It is known that the Arabs finally overwhelmed 

[101 1 



ALGERIA 

and destroyed the town about the beginning of the 
sixth century. The Forum, the Theatre, the Cap- 
itol, and the PubUc Baths, as well as the Market 
Place and the site of the ancient Temple, are all 
remarkably fine. The mosaic work in the Museum 
is very interesting, being extraordinary in size 
and in a fine state of preservation. It is interest- 
ing to note that along the streets are still to be 
seen the ruts worn by the wheels of the Roman 
chariots in the slabs of stone with which they are 
paved. Indeed, so interesting are the points of 
interest, that one could spend hours in this won- 
derful old city studying its archeological remains. 
With us, however, it was, as usual, a case of hurry, 
and we were obliged to cut our investigations 
short, and retrace our way over the same road 
back to Batna. When we once again descended 
at our hotel, we had accomplished, since the 
morning, a day's run of 194 kilometers, in three 
hours and forty minutes' running time. 

Our rooms at the hotel were damp and cold, 
but huge fires in the fire-places soon made us com- 
fortable, and after a fairly good dinner we were 
glad to retire for a good night's rest, as the ther- 
mometer was hovering around freezing point. 

Early next morning, with the sky overcast and 
threatening, we left Batna for Biskra. The dis- 

[102] 




ROMAN ARCH AT TIMGAD 



GONSTANTINE TO EL KANTARA 

tance separating the two towns is 118 kilometers, 
and a gradual descent from about 3,000 feet to 
300 feet above sea level brought us to the latter 
place. Biskra is, in reality, an oasis, and is used 
as a French garrison post ; but it possesses modern 
hotels. I will touch more fully on this subject 
later. The terminal of the railroad, as also of 
the highway, is at this town. The great Sahara 
desert extends hundred of miles in a southerly 
direction, with nothing but trails to ride upon. 
While we were still on the plain of Sbakh, and 
on the point of descending the southern side of 
the Gebel Aures Mountains, we punctured a rear 
tire. Soon after we had passed the town of Mac- 
Mahon, and we were 33 kilometers from Batna, 
we came to the junction road leading to Setif. 
That was the route we would have to take on re- 
tracing our steps from Biskra the following day. 
In other words, it is necessary for the tourist to 
travel again over the road from Biskra for 86 
kilometers up to this point. But it is an interest- 
ing drive, and one that can be taken many times 
before it becomes tiresome. The kilometer placque 
at this junction of the roads indicates 143 kilo- 
meters to Setif, and 86 to Biskra. Up to this 
point of the day's run our route had been over a 
vast plain, similar to that traversed the day before, 

[103 1 



ALGERIA 

dreary and desert-like in appearance, with snow- 
capped mountains in the distance. This picture 
is, in fact, typical of the general scenery. From 
here onwards, a great change takes place. Hav- 
ing made the necessary repairs to our car, we im- 
mediately set off. The scenery became now ex- 
tremely fme, and suddenly we saw^ before us a vast 
drop in the face of the plain, with a winding road 
leading us downward into a huge valley below. 
A superb view of the surrounding country is ob- 
tained from this point, and in the far distance 
the railroad may be seen skirting close to the 
side of the mountain, continually bridging over 
chasms or tunneling through the rock. Some 
beautiful effects of coloring were seen on the dis- 
tant hills, the result of mineral deposits close to 
the surface. 

A sharp bend in the road, and El Kantara ap- 
peared before us. A swift-flowing river runs 
through the gorge in which lies the mud village, 
and thousands of palm trees on all sides give it 
the appearance of an oasis. 



[ 104 



s^ 'Vt^'tbi Wsiidi; 




OASIS AT EL KANTARA 



EL KANTARA TO BOUGIE 

THE Hotel Bertrand is attractively situated 
near the entrance to the gorge in which El 
Kantara is located. The hotel is a very com- 
fortable place in which to spend a night, and the 
French proprietor and his wife are charming and 
anxious to do everything in their power for the 
care and comfort of their guests. The rooms are 
clean and the food quite good, though, of course, 
it is a southern establishment and should be con- 
sidered as such by visitors. The architecture of 
the house is peculiar, the entrance to the bed- 
rooms, for example, being from the roof, but once 
inside, one is snug and fairly secure from the 
attacks of the wild men who are supposed to 
roam about this part of the world, and from the 
beasts of the desert that not only spend sleepless 
nights themselves, but whose vocal efforts render 
sleep somewhat difficult for others. 

El Kantara was at one time a Roman strong- 
hold, and history relates that it was here Hercules, 
with one mighty kick, opened up the gorge 
through which the river flows to-day. 

[105 1 



ALGERIA 

The whole district is full of these curious gorges, 
many of them interesting, and all within conve- 
nient distance from the hotel, at which the visitor 
would do well to make his headquarters for a few 
days. Among these gorges may be named the 
Gorge de Maafa, the Gorge de Tilaton, and the 
Gorge de Beni Ferah, all of which are said to be 
remarkably impressive, and for those who had 
more time at their disposal than we had in El 
Kantara, several days may be well spent in ex- 
ploring the surrounding country. 

While in El Kantara we succeeded in obtaining 
several good photographs. We then turned our 
car to the south, en route for Biskra, some 53 
kilometers across the desert. On the south side 
of the town as we left, we passed an Arab bury- 
ing ground, the graves of which were marked by 
a few rough stones heaped up in a pile. 

The road skirts the river for a few miles and 
crosses it by a bridge some two or three kilometers 
south of El Kantara. It then runs parallel to the 
railroad for practically the whole of the remain- 
ing part of the route, and a flat plain, with a very 
fair roadway is traversed for the next 35 kilo- 
meters. Then, after breasting a high hill with a 
sharp climb to the top, we suddenly found our- 
selves gazing down over a vast plain, with the 

[ 106 ] 



EL KANTARA TO BOUGIE 

town of Biskra far away to the south, resembUng 
nothing so much as a green ink blot on a big 
brown blotter. That, at least, was the impres- 
sion I received on my first sight of this town. 
Remarkably beautiful and restful it appeared 
from my point of vantage high up in the hills 
above it. 

Midday found us drawn up in front of our hotel 
in Biskra, one of a number from which the visitor 
may take his choice. The Royal is very good, 
as is also the Oasis; but my, what a bitter disap- 
pointment is the town itself upon a closer ac- 
quaintance, and how changed from its cool and 
inviting appearance as seen from a distance! 
Dirty and dusty to a degree, full of flies, noisy 
guides who never ceased following us through the 
streets and pestering us with offers of their un- 
welcome services, bad boys and beggars, and quite 
impossible shop keepers, and hordes of Cook's 
tourists, who floated by in carriages, disregarding 
the rule of the road and bumping into everyone as 
if they owned the earth. 

Everything objectionable in Arab life and every 
conceivable kind of fakir in northern Africa, I do 
believe, must have congregated in this place with, 
apparently, the sole object of "doing" the un- 
sophisticated tourist. After half an hour's stay 

[107] 



ALGERIA 

and a little experience of the commercial ameni- 
ties of Biskra we unanimously decided to leave 
early the next morning. 

The "Garden of Allah," the Casino, and many 
fake shows are all the sights the town boasts of 
that are worth seeing. For compensation we en- 
joyed a gorgeous sunset, which we were fortunate 
enough to view from the roof of the hotel, and 
which exceeded in grandeur anything of the like 
I had ever seen. From the height of the tower in 
which we were standing we could look for miles 
over the desert and watch the old caravans slowly 
approaching the town. The fires from several 
Bedouin camps two or three miles away enhanced 
the attractiveness of the picture. This characteris- 
tic and beautiful scene of desert life was well worth 
traveling many hundred miles to see, as indeed, we 
had done. Our run from El Kantara to Biskra 
over the excellent roads and through the interest- 
ing scenery I have described, a distance of 118 
kilometers, took us two hours and fifty minutes to 
accomplish. 

Early next morning (January 13, 1913), after a 
good breakfast, we gladly shook the dust of 
Biskra off our feet, and in an hour's time reached 
the little town of El Kantara. How quiet and 
peaceful this little, insignificant place now seemed ! 

[ 108 ] 



EL KANTARA TO BOUGIE 

But even so, it appeared to us much finer than it 
had the day before, by comparison with the more 
celebrated but disappointing desert city of Biskra. 

Anticipating a long day's run, and not having 
brought lunch with us from Biskra, we stopped 
in El Kantara to replenish our basket, and also 
took the precaution to obtain an extra supply of 
gasoline, which we carried in cans fastened to the 
mud guards. After half an hour's stop we were 
out of El Kantara on the road to MacMahon, 
the junction where we must turn off to the west. 
On approaching this town we found we had 
struck another market day, and a bright and in- 
teresting scene of activity it was in which we 
found ourselves. We halted for a few minutes to 
enjoy the lively show, and then passed slowly 
through the crowds of marketers, taking care that 
the progress of the car should disturb the people 
as little as possible. 

The town of Setif, for w^hich we were heading, 
is 143 kilometers distant, and our route now lay 
through the dreariest country it has ever been 
my bad fortune to traverse. Not a sign of life in 
any form whatever was to be seen for miles in 
every direction. Not a house, not a tree, nothing 
but a little sinuous road, winding along, now over 
mountains, now over plains, always on and on, its 

[109] 



ALGERIA 

only redeeming feature being its excellent sur- 
face. The complete absence of any signs of 
human existence caused us to speculate as to what 
our fate would be should the motor break down, 
or any accident befall us. Beyond the help of 
man it would have been impossible for us to reach 
a haven of refuge. 

We passed over the Hodna Mountains and then 
the Plain of Oulad, in which, to our amazement, 
we encountered a fair-sized village, known as 
Ngaous, a remarkably nice little town for such a 
desolate country. 

We drove through Ngaous, however, without 
stopping, and when within 58 kilometers of 
Setif, we decided to halt for lunch. Not a tree 
was in sight, not a vestige of any shelter from 
which we could obtain protection from the sun. 
We had little comfort in partaking of our repast, 
which was rapidly devoured in the blazing sun- 
shine so that we might once more get under way 
and obtain some relief from the heat in the breeze 
created by the speeding car. 

Eighteen kilometers farther we encountered a 
very bad surface of road, which continued for 
about another 20 kilometers. Great care should 
be taken in driving here, for a broken spring, or 
any similar accident, would put the car out of 

[110] 



EL KANTARA TO BOUGIE 

business, and as there is no railroad in this sec- 
tion of the country, the predicament of a stranded 
motor party would be anything but pleasant. 

We had been constantly climbing all day long; 
we started at 300 feet above the sea level at 
Biskra, reached 1,500 feet at El Kantara, and 
finally ended at 3,000 feet above sea level at 
Setif. 

This last town was reached at half-past two in 
the afternoon, and having passed through the old 
fortified gates, we found ourselves in a fairly 
clean, typically French village, well laid out, and 
apparently garrisoned by a large detachment of 
troops. We investigated the hotel and found it by 
no means inviting. We decided, therefore, to 
continue our route to Bougie, 113 kilometers dis- 
tant, where, we were informed, quite good hotel 
accommodations could be had. 



[Ill 



BOUGIE TO ALGIERS, MAR- 
SEILLES, AND PARIS 

OUR departure from Setif was enlivened 
by the sight of a fine mihtary drill, the 
combined arms of the service — ^ cavalry, 
infantry, and artillery — making an impressive 
spectacle. 

The country we now approached was very 
mountainous in character, the hills being the 
highest and the climbs the steepest we had so far 
encountered in northern Africa. Nevertheless, we 
pushed the old car along, up hill and down dale, 
just as fast as it would go, for we did not relish be- 
ing overtaken by darkness in these lonely regions. 
Eighteen kilometers south of Setif we came to 
Col de Taniet, at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the 
highest elevation attained during the day's run. 
From here we made a rapid descent to the sea 
level. The country is so grand that I can fmd 
no words in which adequately to describe it. The 
route is dangerous for speed, the curves being 
many and tortuous to a degree; but the road sur- 
face is splendid the entire way. Vast forests sur- 

[112] 



BOUGIE TO ALGIERS 

rounded us on all sides; indeed, the sudden change 
from the arid landscape of the early morning to 
this luxuriant foliage was so marked that we could 
scarcely realize we were in the same country. 

When within 50 kilometers of Bougie we en- 
tered the Gorge de Chabet-el-Akra, and enjoyed 
the finest road and most beautiful scenery I have 
ever seen since I began automobiling. It was 
through this narrow defile that the French troops 
marched in 1864. The road was built and com- 
pleted in 1870, which speaks wonders for the skill 
of the military engineers of that time. A very 
narrow, winding road runs along the foot of the 
gorge; the precipitous walls towered several thou- 
sand feet above us, while below rushed the tur- 
bulent river. As we passed by, cascades falling 
from the tops of the cliffs at various points cov- 
ered us with spray. Though the passage through 
the mountain at this point is only seven kilo- 
meters long, its beautiful scenery and unique 
formation make it well worth the entire trip from 
the United States to Africa to see. 

The Hotel du Chalet is finely situated at Ker- 
rata, 59 kilometers from Bougie, near the northern 
entrance of the gorge. 

As w^e emerged from this wonderful gorge, it 
seemed to us as if we had stepped out of a prison 

[113] 



ALGERIA 

and had left the stone walls behind. Soon after, 
we were greeted by a view of the beautiful sunlit 
Mediterranean which unfolded itself before our 
eyes. 

A pleasing, fertile country was now traversed 
until the end of the day's run. To the left, Cape 
Carbon stood out, with Bougie showing dimly in 
the distance, nestling close to the sea. A magnifi- 
cent picture was presented, the cape itself some- 
what resembling the mighty Rock of Gibraltar. 
Palm trees, orange groves, vineyards and flowers in 
profusion surrounded us on every side. Several very 
fine villas were noted as we passed, and we almost 
believed ourselves to be on the other side of the 
Mediterranean, along the Riviera sea-board. A 
loud report brought us back to a realization of our 
present position, and we stopped the car to make 
the necessary repairs to the tire. 

As darkness was falling we lit the headlights, and 
fifteen minutes later we were off again, and in 
half an hour were entering Bougie. 

In this little town, pleasantly situated close to 
the sea, we found a very good hotel and excellent 
entertainment. The place is clean and up to date 
in every respect, and the rooms are as comfort- 
able as one could desire. 

The day's run had taken seven hours, during 
[114] 




WATER CARRIERS 



BOUGIE TO ALGIERS 

which time we had covered 341 kilometers. It 
was no wonder we were tired, and when the pro- 
prietor of the hotel learned that we had come 
right through from Biskra his surprise knew no 
bounds. His interest became quite marked when 
we told him that during our entire journey from 
Paris to Bougie, we had not only traversed 4,812 
kilometers, but had experienced no accidents other 
than nine punctured tires. 

Our day at Bougie was a very pleasant one, and 
we certainly enjoyed the rest the stay afforded us. 
The water front is an interesting part of the town 
and is very picturesque. The drive out to Cape 
Carbon, from a scenic point of view, is very fme. 
The streets of the town itself are hilly and narrow, 
but are kept beautifully clean, and the place is 
quite European in general appearance. Indeed, of 
the 10,500 inhabitants, 4,500 are Europeans. 

There is a railroad terminus at Bougie, but the 
town does not export any great quantity of mer- 
chandise, nor does it appear to be actively en- 
gaged in any other kind of railroad traffic. 

Bougie is a town of great antiquity, like all the 
towns bordering the Mediterranean in this part of 
the world. Its original name was Saldae, and, 
with the other neighboring towns, it went through 
a series of sieges and bombardments, being con- 

[115] 



ALGERIA 

quered in turn by Romans, Arabs, and Spaniards, 
and finally surrendered to the French in 1833. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Bougie, but 
early the next morning, we set off under an over- 
cast sky and with a boisterous wind blowing. 
Our route lay over the National Highway to 
Algiers, 245 kilometers distant. For the first 
twenty odd kilometers we ran along the banks of 
the River Quedsahel, and then at El Kseur, we 
began climbing the mountain side. Some of the 
gradients of this mountain road are pretty stiff, 
the average being from six to ten per cent. At 
the Col de Tigdint we reached an altitude of 3,000 
feet. We were particularly fortunate to encounter 
no snow on this run. 

A most interesting side journey can be made to 
the fort at the summit of Col de Tolmetz, where 
some magnificent views of the country are to be 
seen. Needless to say we seized the opportunity 
to view the surrounding country from such a 
capital point of vantage, and fine indeed was the 
appearance of the landscape spread out below. It 
showed very fertile in places, and was dotted with 
small Bedouin huts, and here and there a pic- 
turesque but dilapidated-looking village. It was 
very cold on the summit, so that we were glad of 
the protection afforded by the car's glass screen, 

[116] 




"^^ymtm 



TIZI-OUZON 



BOUGIE TO ALGIERS 

behind which we were less exposed to the biting 
wind. During the ascent we found the road-bed 
in good condition most of the way. Some few 
bad spots were being repaired, and gangs of men 
are kept constantly at work; it is only a question 
of time when these imperfect places will get the 
proper attention. 

After passing through several dense forests on 
the top of the mountain, we reached the other 
side of the plateau and began our slide down the 
western side of the range. We passed through the 
little villages of Yacouran and Azazga in rapid 
succession, and reached Tamda, where we were 
once more at an elevation of only some 700 feet 
above the sea. 

For the remainder of our drive to Algiers the 
road passes through an undulating country with 
nothing more serious to encounter than one short 
climb over an elevation of about 700 feet. 

After half an hour's stop for lunch, we were off 
again on our last lap for Algiers, over a muddy, 
slippery road. We reached Tizi Ouzou, where the 
railroad we left behind at El Kseur again comes 
in view, having passed the Djurdjura Moun- 
tains over which we had driven. We took a 
photograph showing some magnificent specimens 
of the eucalyptus tree which flourishes in this dis- 

[117] 



ALGERIA 

trict. These trees grow to such heights on each 
side of the road that their branches meet over- 
head in a dense arch. The shade is fine and cool, 
but unfortunately it keeps the roads wet, and for 
that reason they are in poor condition for about 
20 kilometers in both directions from Tizi-Ouzou. 

This is also the case with the road approaching 
Algiers. In both localities large gangs of men were 
at work on surface repairs. With the help of the 
steam-roller things will undoubtedly be put into 
better shape for the tourists who come after us. 
The latter part of our drive was through a flat 
but very fertile country. Many fme villas are 
seen set in the middle of carefully cultivated vine- 
yards, which are typical of this great wine-pro- 
ducing section. We arrived at the city of Algiers 
at three in the afternoon, after a run of about six 
hours, on the whole over roads of excellent sur- 
face. On those parts of the road, where condi- 
tions were not all that could be desired, repairs 
work was in progress. 

The traveler from Bougie to Algiers has the 
alternative of taking the road by the Col de 
Tirourda, over an elevation of 5,400 feet. This 
road is generally in good condition, but this time 
of the year snow is encountered in quite large 
quantities. The distance is somewhat longer 

[118 1 




O 



BOUGIE TO ALGIERS 

than by the other route, and follows the River 
Quedsahel until about 18 kilometers beyond 
Tazmalt, at which point, after turning sharply to 
the right, a steep ascent of the pass is begun, 
when, after a run of about 100 kilometers, one 
drops rapidly down into the town of Tizi-Ouzou. 

With this day's run our trip through Algeria 
and Tunisia comes to an end. It was with many 
feelings of regret that Payne and I abandoned the 
old car and left it behind to be shipped by sea the 
next day for France. 

^Ye rested for several days at Algiers, taking the 
opportunity to see all the sights. 

On the 19th of January we sailed for Marseilles 
on board the good ship Timgacl, which j^rought 
us safely to the shores of France. It took us 
twenty-four hours to cross, a longer time than is 
usual, but a mistral caught us in the early hours 
of the morning and tossed us about like a cork 
in the sea. 

After a day's rest at Marseilles we set out for 
Paris on the last stage of our long trip. This calls 
for little comment, but a record of our time may 
be of interest. 

We left on the morning of January 21, at 8: 45 
and arrived at Avignon by way of Aix at 10: 23. 
We punctured a tire at 10: 50, but were off again 

[119] 



ALGERIA 

at 11:23. We stopped for lunch at Montelimar, 
at 12:20, and were once more under way at 
1 : 40 P.M. Passing through Valence, Tain, and 
Vienne, we reached Lyons at 4 : 20, where we put 
up for the night. Our day's run of 323 kilometers 
was accomplished in five hours and forty-two 
minutes. 

The next morning, at nine we left Lyons and 
reached Macon at eleven. On a broken spring we 
ran into Tournus, half an hour later. Lunch and 
repairs took up the time until 2: 30 p.m., when we 
were off again, arriving at Avallon at 6 p.m., 
where we put up for the night. The day's run of 
268 kilometers took us six hours. 

At eight in the morning of January 23, we left 
Avallon and, shortly after midday, we were in 
Paris, having accomplished the last day's run of 
229 kilometers in four hours and twenty minutes. 



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